The Taste of Blood
by DarkFairy207
Summary: Fionna has been sent to kill Marshall Lee, but what will happen when they start to have feelings for each other? Lame description, best to just read the thing. Rated for Language, some violence, and rape.
1. The Job

**This is my pilot chapter. If I get some at least… say… two? Good reviews then I will continue. I just do not want to write something that no one plans to read. Anyway, this is going to be a romance/adventure between Fionna and Marshall Lee. Some of the characters I kept true to the original show, the others are their gender opposites. I hope you enjoy! **

**Rated T for language and violence**

**Review Please!**

"Fionna! Hey Fionna! Get up!" Fionna woke to Cake's nails digging into her arm.

"Cake ow! Get off!" She pushed the cat onto the floor and rolled over, pulling the covers up to her chin.

"Get up! There's some men in armor at our door!"

"What?" This woke Fionna up immediately. _Shit,_ she thought, _what did I do this time?_

"I told them you were in the bathroom, now hurry up!" The once small cat grew just above average human size and pushed the teenage girl from her bed.

"Dammit! Ow! Fine, just stop hurting me jeez!" Fionna ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and tried to make herself look presentable. She rushed to the door, not caring that she was still wearing her sleepwear. Sure enough, just as Cake had said, there were three large knights in black armor standing just outside the door.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked.

"You're Fionna," one said as if he was skeptic. His voice was slightly muffled by the large black helmet pulled over his face and she couldn't help but stifle a giggle.

"Please remove your helmets, I can barely hear you through those walls of metal," she finally said. They all complied, pulling off the helmets to reveal young handsome men, all shamelessly running their eyes over Fionna's body. She felt a slow blush crawl to her cheeks.

"So you are Fionna?" The blonde one asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Prince Gumball has requested your presence,"

"Did I… Did Fionna do something wrong?" she raised an eyebrow.

"If you had, we would be arresting you, not asking you to come with us," the black haired one pointed out. She couldn't argue with that logic.

"Fine, give me a moment to change," she sighed, slamming the door in their faces.

"What is it? Come on! Tell me!" Cake demanded.

"I don't know! Pester off!"

"I'm coming with you," she insisted.

"Well of course you are, I can't face royalty without my best friend," she playfully punched her furry feline in the side and raced to her room. She had a signature look and she had no intentions of changing that. Fionna pulled on a skin tight light blue one shouldered shirt and short dark blue shorts. It wasn't considered appropriate for a girl of her age to show so much skin, but she didn't care. She wasn't there to impress guys, she was an adventurer and she would wear what she wanted. To complete the look she pulled on a hat she had sewn herself. She had made it from soft white rabbit fur and added bunny-like ears to the top. A few strands of her hair poked out around her face but she didn't care.

"You ready? Wouldn't want to keep those fine men waiting outside now would we?"

"Shut up Cake,"

"Oh come on girl, that blonde one is HOT!"

"How many times have I got to tell you, I don't want a stupid boyfriend!" Fionna felt her face grow hot.

Cake swayed her tale, her way of shaking her head. The two friends emerged from their tree house, the knights watching them cautiously. The adventurers had a reputation, not a very good one. Sure, they helped rid the land of evil; they just tended to do it in ways not everyone agreed with. However, killing was the only solution; Fionna and Cake were the only one who could accept this. Deep inside everyone agreed, but no one said this aloud.

The Candy Kingdom, appropriately named due to the sugary content in everything within it, was practically empty when they arrived. The only soul to be seen was Peppermint Butler who was standing at the entrance of Gumball's castle.

"Good day Miss Fionna and Cake. Prince Gumball has requested to speak to you both in his private chamber," he motioned for them to follow, obviously hinting that the knights were not to follow. Fionna could feel the knights' eyes burning into her back, and a bit lower as well. Inside she was filled with partial disgust. She was sick of people seeing her as nothing but a pretty face and a good body. Beneath her skin was a dangerous warrior that yearned to prove her to be strong. However, as a girl, she had to be careful. _Fucking societal restraints, _she thought to herself.

"Right through that door Miss," Peppermint Butler pointed to an elegant candy decorated door at the end of hall.

"Thanks," she muttered, not bothering to knock before entering. Luckily, the candy Prince was in appropriate attire and anxiously awaiting her arrival. He stood upon her entrance.

"Fionna, it's very good to see you," he smiled warmly. Fionna felt the light brush of a tale hit the back of her leg. Cake was teasing her.

"You called?" She crossed her arms, refusing to let him see that she was becoming slightly overwhelmed by his physical appearance. Why did he have to be attractive?

"Oh, yes, sit with me while I explain," he sat upon his bed and patted the space next to him. She sunk into the sweet cotton candy comforter and waited for him to explain. Cake snuggled up close to her, resting her head in her lap.

"So what's this about?"

"Well, as you may have noticed, my people have fled from the streets. Our kingdom is not the only one being tormented, but we are receiving the worst of it. I'm sure you have heard of Marshalll Lee. The Vampire King,"

"King?" Fionna interrupted, "He doesn't seem old enough to be a king,"

"He is thousands of years old; do not let his youthful appearance fool you. Anyway, for a reason unbeknownst to us he has begun to wreak havoc upon my people. He originally only drank the colour red, satisfied by it alone. However, his taste of blood has grown and the blood of the candy people is exceptionally sweet and alluring to him. I have sent out my finest to protect the city and for now he seems to be in hiding, but it is only a matter of time before he returns. I need him gone, whether it be locked in a cell or buried in the ground, I cannot have him continue to strike terror into my people's hearts. You are the only one strong and smart enough to do this, will you help?" Gumball's eyes bore into hers with hope.

"Ooh! Of course we will your majesty!" Cake leapt from Fionna's lap.

"He will be no match for us," she shrugged casually, secretly pleased by his compliment.

"Good to hear, I knew I could trust you, both of you,"

"Any idea where we might find him?" Fionna wondered.

"Yes, I have a pretty good idea,"


	2. Introductions

MPOV

Hungry… Really hungry. Marshall Lee was consumed by the growing need for nourishment, but what could he do? Almost every city had some sort of reward on his head and rumor had it, Prince Gumball had sent some sort of assassin after him. He wasn't safe, he knew this. That was why he had hid himself within the woods. Now he was hungry and he needed something to eat.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath, feeling a nauseating wave of weakness wash over him. It was one of the many symptoms to come if he didn't "eat" soon. He fingered the chords on his bass, his eyes scanning the forest. He couldn't go out though, not until night fell once more. So he would have to stay under the tree and try to scope out something to eat. As he waited he began to strum a dark tune. It was a song that he had once heard his mother hum to him when he was just a child. He did not know the words, but he would never forget each haunting note.

"Oh my Glob, I know. Brad was like totally looking at me! I know! He was all like 'I want your lumps,' and I was like 'You want these lumps? You gotta put a ring on it, babe!' I know, Brad is totally hot but…" Marshall Lee immediately lost interest in the conversation that had interrupted his playing. However, the sound of a healthy beating heart caught his attention and made his mouth water.

He peered around the tall dead tree, grateful that its gray bark matched his sickly skin and hid him well. To his delight he watched the voluptuous space princess saunter past just a few trees away. Her curvy body swayed in time with her steady pulse which nearly drove Marshall to become a complete animal. However, he had respect and dignity and he would do what he must, but he would do so without making a mess. Besides, he figured it may be a while before he was able to have a fresh set of clothes, therefore he found it in his best interest to stay as clean as possible.

Marshall floated out from behind the tree, following her closely. Beneath her odd purple skin were her full plump veins that flowed with the delicious liquid that would bring him complete relief. Yes, the colour red would suffice, but there was nothing like the power and the energy that came with the wonderful taste of real blood. Careful not to alarm her, he wrapped his arms around her face, mostly her mouth, and leaned down until his mouth was only inches away from her carotid artery. His lips brushed her skin as he whispered:

"I'm sorry," he plunged his fangs into her flesh and buried them until they punctured her artery. Blood spouted and filled his mouth. Each deep swallow satisfied him to the point of near ecstasy. Oh, how could he have ever lived without such a luxury?

"Hey, get your stinkin' fangs out of LSP!" A voice demanded. He yelped with surprise and dropped the nearly lifeless body to the ground. "Cake, go fix the princess, I'll take care of him," Marshall glanced up and nearly doubled over with laughter. He had expected that some young hotshot guy would be sent out in a full suite of armor and a sword much too heavy for him to carry. Instead, in front of him stood a young girl wearing barely enough to cover her forbidden parts and holding a sword that, although sharp, looked as though it held no weight at all. Her stance suggested that she had fought before, but he doubted that she possessed the skill or strength to even scratch him.

"Well, well, well," Marshal clicked his tongue, running his eyes over the girl's athletic yet womanly body, "What do we have here?"

"Shut up, I'd rather just kill you and get this over with," she spat. He ignored the small cat that ran by him. He assumed this was "Cake".

"Kill me?" He raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You are just like all of the other guys around here. All you see is a pretty face but I guarantee that I can fight ten times better than any stupid knight or soldier," as she said this, a wisp of blonde hair escaped her odd hat and fell over her right eye. She ignored it, her eyes never leaving him. He had to give her credit, she was awfully brave. He wished it was later in the day. If only the sun would quickly cross the sky, disappear into the horizon, and delve the world in totally darkness. Then, he would be in complete power and control. Instead, he was stuck in the shadows, waiting. If it was night, the girl in front of him would have no chance of fighting him off. It was the simple truth.

"A pretty face? Who said I thought you were pretty? I was merely surprised to find that the dangerous assassin that I had been told to fear turned out to be such a young girl. A boy perhaps, but a girl? I must say, I am a bit disappointed. I had hoped to actually have a challenge," he snorted. With a roar of anger she brought her sword down upon him. He moved just in time for it to not strike his neck, but instead part of his shoulder. He gasped, shocked by the amount of pain that followed. Okay, perhaps looks were deceiving.

"First, I'll make you pay for that comment, then I'll make you pay for what you have done," she hissed in a low voice. She was undoubtedly beautiful, and undoubtedly dangerous. The more he examined her body the more he realized how wrong he was about his first impression of her. Her curves were accented by toned strong muscles. The way she held her sword and gracefully circled him suggested that she was more skilled than he originally thought. So maybe he would get the challenge he wanted.

"And what have I done exactly? I am being killed for simply staying alive?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, ignoring the pain in his left shoulder and the blood that had begun to soak through his red flannel.

"You've been murdering innocent people and terrorizing the Candy Kingdom for much too long,"

"I'm doing what I was made to do. If I don't feed, I die. Why are you not assassinating everyone who eats meat? Something had to die in order to feed you, how am I any different?"

"I was not sent here to chat with you. Get over it; you're going to die,"

"Death is a little harsh, don't you think?" Marshall pointed out. Although he knew this girl had no plans on letting him go, he knew that until he was at full strength again, he could not really afford to become seriously injured. Therefore, he needed to stall the eminent fight.

"You know Fionna, he's gotta point. Shouldn't we take him in to Gumball? Let him decide?" The cat, Cake, suggested. He looked down at the feline with a small fondness. At least the cat was not trying to rip his throat out. Fionna glanced at her furry friend, sighing with agreement.

"Fine. Wrap him up," she ordered. Cake eyed Marshall wearily.

"Alright, but I aint letting his teeth anywhere near me," she said. Marshall watched with curiosity as the cat extended her arms, wrapping them multiple times around his body. He did not fight it. He knew they could not hold him forever, and when the time was right he would break free. His growing restraints stopped just below his neck. Smart cat, he wouldn't be able to bite her this way.

"Come on," Fionna relaxed, placing her sword in a green sheath strapped to her back.

"I'm afraid if you want to bring me back as a prisoner, you will have to wait until tonight," he quickly said as Cake started to drag him forward toward the less thick part of the forest. Rays of sunlight filtered through the trees and warmed the forest floor below. If a single beam of gold hit his skin he would be burned, scarred, and possibly killed.

"Oh, yeah, forgot," she sighed.

"Besides, we can't leave LSP," Cake point out. All three turned to look at the unconscious princess laying limply in the shade. She would live, undoubtedly, but it would be a while before she returned to full strength. The two adventurers exchanged weary glances as they pondered what to do.

"I guess we will just have to wait," Cake shrugged awkwardly due to her occupied arms.

"While we are waiting, would either of you mind grabbing my bass. Even though I know I'm probably never going to hold it again, I do not think I could live if it got scathed or destroyed. It's behind that tree over there, by the Princess's body," he jerked his head in the direction of the dead tree which he had hid behind just moments ago.

"Fine," Fionna grumbled, swaying over to it. Marshall could not help but think of the word "sway" when it came to the way she walked because her behind swayed almost seductively with every step. Although he knew that she did not intend for her body to move in such ways, it still taunted him slightly. The torture had nothing to do with him wanting her. Rather, he felt tormented because he had allowed himself to be taken captive by a simple female, a small attractive one at that. She returned holding the old red axe which Marshall had personally taken the liberty of turning into a musical instrument. The silver strings gleamed in the small amount of light that snuck into the shadow they loitered in, making him itch to play.

"So, you are going to keep me all wrapped up for the next six hours?" He arched a brow as Fionna settled down into the cool grass below.

"I guess," she shrugged.

"Will that not be tiresome? Where do you think I'm going to go? After all, you are the one with the sword,"

"Yeah, and you have fangs and can levitate. Not to mention you can turn into a bat," she rolled her blue eyes.

"I'm too weak to turn into a bat. The princess provided little nourishment. Had she been Prince Gumball instead…" He reminisced at the thought of tasting the sweet blood of the candy people again. The way the sugary liquid filled him satisfied him like nothing else. Sure, LSP's blood had been wonderful, but he had not been able to finish feeding and was not yet up to full strength.

"Don't even think about putting your stupid hands on him," she suddenly hissed.

"Protective? Perhaps too protective?" He winked.

"You better be careful bloodsucker, mess with Fionna's man and you gonna get hurt!" Cake warned. Oh, so that explained a lot. Fionna's face heated at the cat's remark.

"He isn't my man!"

"Oh sugar, you better just accept it. You two have the hots for each other,"

"Yeah, okay, I admit he is attractive. But do you honestly think for one second that I would ever go out with him? He is a prince! He is so proper and smart, it's ridiculous. I would have absolutely no fun whatsoever," she pointed out.

"Not all royalty is boring," Marshall added, flashing his fangs with a smile.

"Royalty, I hardly call you royalty. You are the vampire king, but how many vampires do you honestly rule over?" Fionna crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's not about ruling over people for me. I have powers, I'm immortal, and I can do whatever the hell I want. That's what being the king means to me. I don't have people to take care of so my title is more of a privilege than anything,"

"Whatever, I don't even know why I am having this conversation with you, you are my prisoner so shut up," she ordered sternly. He only chuckled. This woman could be forceful, but she looked about as menacing as a mouse. It was hard to take her threats seriously. Now, if she was still holding her sword he may have a different perspective on her.

The tiny group fell silent. Cake curled up and decided to take a nap on Fionna's lap. Fionna occupied herself with staring at a lady bug that had landed on her arm. Marshall found a more interesting subject to stare at: Fionna.

Undead or not, he was still a guy. Any guy would have to appreciate the female that sat in front of him. Not only was she exquisitely beautiful, but also independent and strong. Danger radiated from her ever pour yet it was difficult to notice because any average guy would be distracted by her deep blue eyes. They were not ocean blue like one might expect when the words "deep blue" are used. No, they were like dark sapphires. The colour melted into her pupil, darkening perfectly towards the center so that the dark circle in the middle was not completely defined. Hey eyes were definitely her best feature, which is not to say that he other features were not beautiful as well. Marshall sighed softly, admiring her like a piece of art rather than a badass chick who wanted nothing more than to bury her blade into his neck.

"You know," he finally said, breaking the silence, "I could play some music. It's very quiet and boring out here,"

"That would mean giving you an axe and letting you go free. Not going to happen buster, get over it," Fionna rolled her eyes uninterestedly.

"I wouldn't use my bass to hurt anyone. That would mean risking damage. That is out of the question, I love that thing more than I love my own life," which was true.

"No,"

"Please?"

"No!"

"Come on, please," he gave her a small pleading smile and looked through his long dark eyelashes at her. His almost black eyes gazed at her and he could tell that her resistance was weakening.

"I'm not letting you go free. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Stupid? No, if you were stupid you never would have found me. You, my fair lady, are not stupid,"

"Fair lady?" She practically gagged.

"It's the polite thing to say. Sorry if I have offended you," he chuckled lightly.

She glared at him, "Well I am offended. I'm not some stupid 'fair lady'. I'm not delicate or dainty, and I'm certainly not 'fair'."

"Whatever you say," he shrugged. "So do I get to play or not?"

"I… Ugh," she groaned. She tapped Cake on the head softly. The cat stirred and blinked her large eyes at Fionna curiously.

"Is it night yet?" She asked sleepily.

"No, we still have a few hours. Let Marshall go," she told her. Cake practically jumped from her lap with surprise.

"Let him go, Fionna are you crazy?" She asked in disbelief.

"We aren't letting him get away. He wants to play some music and I'm incredibly bored so I figured I'd let him. Besides, will all this sun around us he can't get very far anyway. I'd kill him if he tried to run," Fionna pointed out. Marshall did not doubt her threat.

"Well, if you're sure," Cake's tone suggested that she was positively unsure. With great reluctance, Cake loosened her hold on Marshall and allowed her stretched out arms to fall to the ground. Marshall was free.


	3. Thirst

FPOV

For hours all Fionna did was watch Marshall Lee's fingers stroke each string on his axe base. At first she was admittedly nervous about his having a weapon, but watching him hold it and handle it with such care and tenderness melted away all her fears. He would not hurt them, not using the base anyway. So instead she busied herself with relaxing and listening to the deep notes trickling from the instrument, filling her ears with a sweet almost sad melody. She watched Marshall as he leaned against the tree behind him and allowed his long black hair to fall in front of his eyes. It was almost as if he had fallen asleep, but his continuous playing suggested otherwise.

"Poisonous flower, you lured me in. You promised a love that would never begin. Now I am left with a broken heart, and no more tears to shed," he sang softly, more to himself than his small audience. Fionna could not help but wonder if these lyrics were written from experience. The pain within his voice made her think they were. She suddenly felt an unwanted need to reach out and comfort him but quickly thought against it. He was a murderer, a prisoner, and the last thing he deserved was comfort of any kind. Honestly, she was surprised she had even allowed him the luxury of playing.

"Wh- Oh my Glob, what happened?" An almost boyish voice sounded. All three heads turned towards the source to see LSP sitting up, blinking groggily. Finally her eyes rested on Marshall and they widened.

"It seems the fair princess has awoken," he gave a crooked smile.

"Holy… You're hot!" She immediately straightened up, brushing off the leaves and dirt that was matted in her short purple hair.

"Why thank you," he flashed his fangs, pleased. Fionna rolled her eyes, knowing this compliment would only make the Vampire King's ego flare up impossibly more.

"Fionna, this isn't fair. You have Gumball, this one is mine okay?"

Fionna felt her face grow very hot, "I do not 'have' Gumball! Why does everyone think that? I'm an adventurer; I don't have time for boyfriends anyway! Besides, LSP, he is the one who attacked you and tried to kill you. If I were you I would not be so eager to land him as my guy," she warned. LSP's smile dropped slightly.

"You attacked me?"

" 'Fraid so," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Wait a minute; you're a vampire aren't you? Oh my Glob, you're like, Marshall Lee the Vampire King aren't you?" She exclaimed. Her hand flickered to her neck which still had some wet blood and she examined it with a pale face. "You drank my blood,"

"Guilty as charged,"

"I feel like I should be mad, but that's actually pretty hot. You are really hot!"

"LSP! He tried to kill you! If we hadn't come alone you'd be dead!" Fionna exclaimed with disbelief. Well, then again, this was Lumpy Space Princess. Her reaction was not too unbelievable. Nonetheless, it disgusted the adventurous duo.

"Girl, you are one messed up princess," Cake scoffed.

"I'm afraid milady that I am currently not looking for that sort of relationship. Besides, your friends are right, I tried to kill you. I do not think that would be a good basis for a relationship, wouldn't you agree?" He chuckled lightheartedly. How could he talk this way so easily? Fionna was baffled by his bluntness. LSP gave a slight frown, a disappointed huff, and decided to stumble away. If she was looking for some form of dramatic effect with her exit, it did not work. Apparently that happens when you have lost too much blood to even properly stand let alone saunter off.

"She is insane," Fionna shook her head.

"Insane? How so?" Marshall wondered earnestly.

"What do you mean? She probably would have jumped you right here right now had we not been here, even though you blatantly admitted to trying to kill her. What girl in her right mind would do that? None! Therefore, she is insane!"

"I prefer to say she has good taste," he gave an arrogant grin.

"Ah shut up, she has terrible taste," the lie tasted funny on her tongue.

It was not as though she had not lied many times before that moment, but for some reason this tiny fib stuck with her the most. Probably because, truth was, LSP had great taste. Granted, he was a murderous blood sucking vampire, that did not mean that he was not attractive. In fact, she admitted that his looks surpassed even Gumball's charming exterior.

There was something about his exceedingly pale skin, thick messy black hair, and mysterious charcoal black eyes that captured her attention in a way no guy had. He did not look nor did he act like any other guy she had ever met. It was fascinating and intriguing at the same time. However, she would never admit this to anyone, especially him.

"Really? Terrible?" Marshall moved a bit closer to her. To her surprise she did not back away. She was not afraid.

"Horrendous actually,"

"You don't really think that, do you,"

"Why wouldn't I?" She demanded.

"Well, because let's face it, you are attracted me. Not just a little either, you find me practically irresistible. Most girls do. The only difference between you and most girls, however, is you are strong and resilient and would never dare show your emotions or inner thoughts to a stranger. You especially would want to keep this hidden from me, am I right?" He raised a perfect eyebrow. She scowled.

"You are an egotistical ass you know that? And you are starting to get on my nerves. Prince Gumball gave me permission to kill you if needed and I am starting to feel a need," her hand twitched towards her sword.

Unfazed he moved closer, pushing his base to the side so that he would have easier access to her.

"Egotistical? Mm, that is probably true. However, that does not change the fact that you think I'm hot. It's okay to admit it. Hell, I'll admit that you are hot. You take care of yourself unlike most females of the day," he gave a complimentary smile.

"Oh," she dramatically clasped her chest, making her tone thick with sarcasm, "My heart just fluttered in my chest. Do you really mean it? Shut up! You are still a stupid guy and I don't have to listen to you. Now shut up and play or something otherwise I'm going to have Cake wrap you up again,"

"Personally, I don't think we should have ever let him go," Cake muttered in a low voice. Fionna ignored her furry friend, her eyes focused on the suddenly tired looking vampire.

"Whatever," Fionna watched with bewilderment as he suddenly deflated. It was as if he was experiencing a total personality change. He looked drained, tired, and utterly uncomfortable though his body was restrained by no bounds.

"What wrong?" She asked without kindness.

"Not that you really care, but I did not quite get the amount of blood I needed from the princess, so I am thirsty," he informed her. She nodded slowly with understanding. However, upon a quick examination of everything in her bag, she realized that she had nothing containing the colour red.

"I guess you will just have to go without for now," she shrugged almost apologetically.

"For now, right. Let's see how long this lasts, how long _I _last," he snorted with annoyance.

"Well what do you want me to do? I don't have anything red to give you so you will just have to deal with it,"

"Yes you do," he interjected, smiling slightly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mm… Your neck," he hummed.

"Are you crazy? Are you asking to drink my blood?"

"Not exactly, but that could be thrown up as an option," he shrugged.

"Hell NO!"

"Well then, I die,"

"Are you serious? You can't wait like, another four or five hours?" She groaned, though secretly she hoped he would say no. As odd as it would seem, she secretly wanted to know what it would feel like to have his hot lips on her neck and his teeth slowly digging into her flesh.

"I might, I might not," he winced slightly. She guessed he had a headache at this point but he was doing his best to hide it.

"Fine, whatever, it doesn't make a difference if you are dead or not anyway," she shook her head, a few more strands of blonde hair slipping from her hat. He inched himself closer and she pretended not to notice.

"Of course it makes a difference. You don't really want me to die. One little bite, it's not as if I can kill you. I'm sure your friend here would be more than happy to claw me to pieces if I actually hurt you. Just a little, just to hold me over until later," he gazed up at her with his dark eyes and she felt her heart race. Dammit! No!

"Hell no!"

"Aw come on," he begged.

"Why not ask Cake?" She eyed Cake wearily, realizing that might not have been the best response, but the cat seemed more bored than annoyed. Marshall wrinkled his nose.

"Animals don't taste nearly as good as people do,"

"But… Ugh!" She threw her fist into the ground. In all honesty, she did not really want to see him die, and as she had felt before, she was sort of curious to what it would feel like to have him drink her blood. Finally, she gave in. "Fine, a little bit, just enough to keep you alive. I swear, if you try anything I'll have Cake pop your head off like a dandelion," she warned darkly. He gave a devilish grin and a slight bow.

"Er… Fionna, you sure this is a good idea?" Cake asked.

"I would like to bring him back to Gumball alive and besides, I know you wouldn't let him hurt me," she nudged the feline playfully. Cake shooed her off with her paws and sighed.

"Alright, your funeral!"

"I mean it bloodsucker, only take a little." He responded with one of his crooked smiles and leaned in towards her, inhaling deeply. She shuddered lightly as his breath washed over her skin. His lips parted and she sucked in a sharp breath. Fionna was far from afraid, rather she was excited. Suddenly, she felt his mouth against her neck and it was as if her heart was a hummingbird, fluttering in her chest. She was thankful that she did not faint easily. No doubt he could feel her pulse racing and this caused her face to fill with the hot liquid that Marshall so badly needed. He scraped his fangs gently across her skin as if testing it, before burying them deeply into her flesh.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as the pain melted away and was replaced by an odd sort of pleasure. His hot mouth was tender against her skin, almost apologetic. Her blood flowed and trickled down his throat. He gave a little hum of approval almost as if to say that she tasted good, and it tickled her neck. She could feel herself growing light headed but it had nothing to do with the sudden loss of blood.

"S-stop, stop before I…" She trailed off. Before she what? Did she really want him to stop? Before she could decide what she wanted, he pulled away wiping his chin on the back of his hand and then on the grass. Instinctually, her fingers flickered to her neck where she felt hot blood from the two distinct puncture wounds.

"Thanks," for the first time she saw him. Not the arrogant almost mockingly-polite vampire king, but rather the vulnerable, alone, sad, teenage boy that he really was. His gaze fell to the ground as if he was ashamed of what he had just done.

"Don't mention it," she answered breathlessly. His expression suggested that he was perfectly content with never discussing what he had just done ever again.


	4. The Question Game

**Hello! First off, thank you to the many reviewers who have been kind enough to leave comments. I absolutely adore you all! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Sorry that the story isn't filled with fluff or anything yet, I've just been sort of working towards their relationship. **

**By the way, I do not own Adventure Time, it's characters, or really anything. **

MPOV

"It's dark," the vampire king noted with no emotion.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Time to take you to Gumball. Cake wrap…"

"I'm not going to escape. Please spare me the humiliation," he sighed, unable to look at her.

"Er… Okay, but I'll be watching you closely so don't try anything stupid," she warned. He could hear her surprise and no doubt she was curious to why he suddenly looked so defeated. Mostly, it was because of what had happened between them.

Marshall never favored hurting anyone, but it had become a natural part of his life. He found it easiest when he was being cruel or detached from his victims. They would normally die before getting a simple word out and that made it easy to see them as nothing but food. However, this girl, Fionna, had offered herself. Yes, she protested, but she nonetheless offered her blood and gave him her trust. Drinking from a person who willingly gives is an intimate thing, and he hated it. He hated how it reminded him of what a monster he really had become.

"I promise," he wrapped his fingers around the thick neck of his bass and held it protectively against himself. "Let's go,"

Although he could technically float or fly, he decided to walk. He had taken off his shoes and was enjoying the way the cool grass felt on the bottom of his feet. The air was cool and refreshing against his gray skin and filled his lungs sweetly. Overall the night was turning out to be beautiful. As if that was not enough, the moon was rising full and bright above them, bleeding white luminous rays of light through the trees and onto their faces. Fionna almost glowed under the moons gaze, making the few exposed strands of blonde hair shimmer.

He could see that Fionna was watching him the entire time, obviously still not trusting him. Not that he could blame her, he would not trust himself either.

" It's a long walk back, do you wish for it to be silent?" He wondered.

"It is not as if we have a lot in common to talk about," she reminded him.

"How do you know that? We know practically nothing about each other. Why don't we play the question game?"

"The question game?" The disbelief was obvious in her tone.

"Childish, I know, but it's something to do," he shrugged. She considered it for a moment before giving him a slow nod.

"You start,"

"Alright, how did you and Cake meet?" He asked.

"My parents died when I was just a baby and I was placed in the care of Cake's mother and father. They raised me and she has practically been a sister to me ever since,"

"I see,"

"Where are your parents?"

"My parents…" He let out a long breath, feeling a pit in his stomach. "My dad… Well my dad died a while ago. My mom is the ruler of the Nightosphere so I don't see her much. Not that I want to,"

"Why don't you want to see her? She's your mom,"

"We just don't have a great past. She isn't exactly what you would call a role model. We've never seen eye to eye and eventually she did a few things I couldn't forgive her for, so we stopped talking. Why are you an adventurer? No offense but it doesn't seem like the type of thing a girl would be interested in,"

She gave a snort, "All guys assume that all we girls want is to get married and have kids. Not me. I don't want to be tied down; I don't want to be told what to do and how I should do it. I am an adventurer because it gives me freedom and I like dealing out justice to people like you,"

"People like me?"

"Murderers," Marshall stopped and glared at her.

"Don't call me that,"

"What? A murderer?"

"Yes,"

"Why not?" She wondered honestly.

"Because," he growled, "I'm not a murderer,"

"You kill innocent people," she pointed out.

"To stay alive! Why won't someone understand that? I'm a _vampire! _That's what I'm supposed to do,"

"You don't have to kill. You drank from me and I'm still here. Besides, I know you can survive on the colour red. There is no reason for you to be taking innocent lives," she said with passion. The way she spoke suggested that she did not honestly care if he was imprisoned or not. In fact, the concern yet sternness in her eyes suggested that she took no real pleasure in capturing or hurting anyone. She wanted the crime to stop and she wanted him to realize what he had done wrong. He softened slightly with this knowledge.

"How many people do you think would willingly let me drink from their necks, knowing that there is always the risk of death? How much nourishment do you think I get from drinking the colour versus the real thing? I have been taking care of myself for a very long time and will continue to do so, even if that means killing others. A murderer takes pleasure in what they do, and they do it with options. I'm not saying that I don't have an option here, but I can guarantee that if you were in my position, you would do the same. Never call me a murderer because I'm not. If I was, you and your cat would be dead," he hissed in a low threatening voice. She seemed unfazed by his insinuated threat.

"You know Fionna, suddenly I wouldn't mind chopping off his head and just going home. This guy is starting to get on my nerves!" Cake piped in.

"Go ahead, it is not as if your precious Gumball will let me live anyway. I've taken the lives of too many of his people," he sighed.

"Why the candy people? At least tell me that," Fionna demanded. He plastered on his famous smirk, suddenly looking like himself again.

"Why the candy people? Because they are so sweet of course," he laughed.

"You are disgusting," she wrinkled her nose.

"You don't really think that. If I was such a parasite to you, you would not have let me drink from you, nor would you find me attractive,"

"What in Glob's name makes you think I think you are attractive?" She demanded, blushing deeply.

"Well for one, your face just turned a lovely shade of scarlet, two; you become very defensive at the mere mention of your attraction for me, rather than just ignoring me. You try very hard to keep on a stone-like expression, but I can see the tension. Either you are afraid, or you are attracted to me. Since I know you are brave and very strong, I know you are not afraid, therefore that leaves only one option left. I do not see why you continuously deny this. It is nothing to be ashamed of," Marshall found himself trying to hold back a slight blush.

Wait… Blush? Why would he be blushing? There was nothing to blush about! Fionna was pretty, and the thought of her finding him attractive pleased him, but there was nothing else, right? So why did he suddenly feel like a stupid boy with a crush? He gritted his teeth stubbornly, careful to not allow his frustration and confusion show on his cool and relaxed face. Fionna only glared at him, but she did not cease to blush.

"You are conceited," she rolled her eyes.

"No I am not. I am simply stating the facts,"

"Well you are wrong,"

"No he isn't," Cake interjected.

"What?" Fionna stared down at her friend with disbelief.

"Hey, I'm not saying he is a good guy or anything. I pretty much hate him, but he is hot and I know you think so too," Cake crossed her arms.

"I do not!"

"Just admit it Fionna,"

"Why? Why the hell is it so damn important for me to admit that Marshall is hot? If it is so damn obvious then why do I need to admit it?" She demanded with frustration.

"So you finally admit it?" Marshall raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! Fine! Whatever," she mumbled. Then, unexpectedly, Marshall felt himself blushing. For some reason he never actually expected her to confess. This was partially due to the fact that although the arrogant vampire that he had spent so long portraying knew how she felt, the innocent teenage boy within was still too self conscious to fully believe that anyone could find him attractive. After all, he was a monster and always would be.

His mask melted away, "Thank you," he murmured shyly.

"What? No snide comment? Aren't you going to make fun of me or say 'I told you so?'"

"No,"

"What the hell is with you? One moment you act like the biggest, most arrogant, egotistical jerk I've ever met and then the next your…" she trailed off, gesturing towards him. He gave an earnest look before dropping his eyes. This wasn't the first time he had been asked this.

"When you are the king of vampires, you have to be tough, you have to be self-absorbed. I am ruling over the terrible blood-sucking creatures of the night, I can't be soft or kind like your precious Gumball. In order to stay in charge I have to be strong, strike fear, and make sure everyone knows their place. Hell, if anyone knew that I was willingly following a girl and her cat to be arrested by the candy kingdom I would no doubt lose my throne," he admitted with a heavy scowl. Although he was not looking at her, he could feel her eyes burning into him. Her gaze was filled with understanding, pity, sympathy and… Concern? She was concerned? He met her eyes and confirmed his original assumption. She was concerned about him.

"Well, why don't you give up your throne? Wouldn't you be able to live a better life as just a normal person?" She wondered softly.

"You honestly think my mother would allow me to? Besides, what makes you think I want to? Being king has its perks," he gave a crooked smile.

"Well, still, you don't exactly seem very happy," she pointed out.

"I'm a vampire…" He chuckled, "Happiness isn't exactly part of the job description. I've been alive for over 1,000 years without friends drinking the blood of others while being hunted. Is it really that shocking that I don't seem happy?" He froze, shocked that he had said half of that.

"You know," she stepped closer, her eyes boring into his, "If we had met under any other circumstances, I think we could have been friends," and with that she planted a soft kiss to his cheek.

**Please review! I promise more emotion and more romantic sort of stuff in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Confrontation

**This story has given me the coolest fans ever. The reviews I get are so nice and I absolutely love them all! Thank you all for liking this story and taking the time to write down kind words. I feel very undeserving of your praise. **

**Here is the next chapter, enjoy.**

She watched as Marshall's eyes widened and his hand flickered to his cheek where her lips had been only moments ago. Fionna was not exactly sure what had made her give him that kiss, but she concluded that it probably had something to do with the fact that she felt great sympathy for him. He looked so sad, so lonely. When Gumball had told her of his crimes, she had not imagined that this creature could have any possible depth. However, seeing him there, seeing the emotions that resided inside his lifeless body, had given her a different opinion. He was very similar to her, she realized. He was misunderstood and simply wanted to be accepted for who he was. She felt a pitiful weight in her chest as she realized that she was undoubtedly escorting him to either life in prison, or certain death.

"Hey, Fionna! Earth to Fionna! Girl, what's wrong with you?" Cake shouted in her face, waving her arms frantically. "You and Marshall have been staring at each other for the past five minutes!"

"Huh?" Fionna felt an uninvited blush begin to crawl to her cheeks. She met her blue eyes with Marshall's gray eyes and saw that his initial shock from the small friendly kiss still had him confused.

"What's wrong with you?" Fionna demanded, putting on her usual attitude.

"I've lived for about 1,322 years and… No one has ever showed me affection. Not even friendly gestures," he admitted sheepishly. Once again she was filled with pity. Her first impression of him had been completely wrong and now, she felt guilty for turning him in.

"Dammit, are you trying to make this harder than it needs to be?" She groaned. Cake eyed her strangely, guessing her life-long friend's thoughts.

"Now Fionna, you aren't thinking about letting him go are you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"What? No! He's a mur- He's killed people and besides, I have strict orders from Prince Gumball to take care of him," she said defensively.

"Really? Strict orders? I thought you were an adventurer. If your only reason for turning me in is because you were told to, well, I think that goes against what you stand for, correct?" Marshall pointed out.

"No! I… I want to turn you in,"

"That's isn't really true, now is it. If you wanted to turn me in, we wouldn't even be having this conversation,"

"I have no qualms about having you captured," she shook her head stubbornly.

"That I have no doubts of. However, do you really want me to be handed over to Gumball? He may decide to imprison me for a while, but eventually he is going to get sick of taking care of me and, like one might do with a sick animal, he will put me down. Do you want me to die?" He asked. His voice was completely serious and curious. His eyes may belong to an eighteen year old boy, but they shined with intelligence and experience from the thousand years he had been alive, and right then they were gazing into hers. They were sad, excited, and looking at her with an almost pleading look.

"No," she admitted, "I don't want you to die,"

"Well what the hell are we supposed to do with him?" Cake threw her arms into the air.

"We could take him home and then decide what to do with him," Fionna suggested, her own uncertainty apparent in her voice.

"Our home? What if he decide to kill us?" Cake pointed out.

"I'll chop his head off," she shrugged, "He knows I'll do it too"

"I have no doubts of you killing capabilities and therefore I promise not to attack you. I'm not as heartless as you both seem to think I am. Yes I drink blood and such, but I do not purposelessly kill people," he rolled his eyes.

"Fionna?" A voice sounded behind them. Being on constant alert, Fionna drew her sword and whipped around.

"Who the hell are you?" She demanded. A guy, no older than Marshall, stood before her, decked out in full armor complete with a sword and shield. The only thing he was missing was a helmet which Fionna could not help but think was the most important part of a suit of armor. Without his helmet, she had full view of his firey red hair and deep amber yellow eyes. _Fire Kingdom_ she thought to herself. Three other boys came clanking up behind them, their eyes skimming shamelessly over the female adventurer's body before landing on Marshall. They all drew their swords and pointed them at the vampire king.

"Prince Gumball sent us to aid you, my name is Landon, I come from the Fire Kingdom," the first guy informed her.

"Does it look like I need your help?" She sneered.

"Well, I see that you have found him, but why is he not in chains? Or better yet, dead?" He wondered.

"Because that's not what I decided to do,"

"He has injured you though,"

"No he has not,"

"Then, why are you covered in blood?" He nodded towards her stained blue shirt and the dry blood coated on her neck. She had forgotten to wash up…

"That's none of your concern. Get out of here, I have him and you are obviously not needed. Besides, how the hell did you guys honestly expect to fight him with all that heavy metal weighing you down? Are you stupid? You were about to go up against the Vampire King in that?" Fionna scoffed, her tone mockingly and rude. All the boys eyed her with shock.

"That's not really a way a lady should talk…" Landon pointed out uncomfortably, a hint of irritation lacing his voice.

"Well, as you can see, I do a lot of things normal girls wouldn't do. For instance, I'm about to kick all of your asses if you don't get out of my way,"

"Hey Fionna, you sure that's the best thing to say at this moment?" Cake asked awkwardly.

"She's a bitch," one of the other boys snorted.

"You think you could take us on?" Landon asked with a raised brow.

"I don't think, I know," her lip curled up into a snarl. She really hated arrogant asses and the way they continued to look at her, with hungry yet demeaning expressions plastered on their stupid faces, only fueled her burning hatred towards them. They were just like any other stupid male in the kingdom. _Except Marshall_ a tiny voice said in the back of her head.

"I don't think this is any way to treat a young woman. Where are your manners?" Marshall piped up, joining Fionna by her side. He crossed his arms over his chest as if waiting for an apology. Fionna had trouble holding back giggles as they all became extremely angry.

"Shut up you filthy leech. You are no more than vermin and when we turn you in we are going to make sure your head is removed from your shoulders,"

Marshall only clicked his tongue, shaking his head slowly, "There is obviously not an ounce of chivalry, kindness, or intelligence in any of your bodies is there? Just hot air and bad manners,"

"Wait, when you turn him in? I found him, I captured him, I'm turning him in," Fionna said stubbornly, trying not to laugh at everything Marshall had just said.

"Well, too bad, you just made our jobs easier. You're a girl, what are you going to do about it?"

"How about beat the shit out of you for starters?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Get him," Landon ordered his team of knights. The other three charged towards them, their swords pointed straight for their chests. Marshall only let out an exasperated breath before allowing his feet to rise from the ground and levitate a few inches above his assailant. Fionna, on the other hand, had no such luxuries. She dodged out of the way just in time as one them lunged at her. She grabbed his arm as it passed in front of her face and, using all her strength, flipped him skillfully over her shoulder. Another tried to attack her, which she deflected easily with her own blade. Meanwhile, Cake had grown exponentially and was picking up the one who had originally attack Marshall as if he was nothing but an ant. She wadded him up in her large paw and chucked him as far as she could. He disappeared over the trees and past the horizon.

Fionna jumped and landed a kick to one of their heads, knocking him instantly unconscious. The other watched in shock at first before running at her with more venom and anger. His blade made contact with her shoulder for a brief moment, slicing through her shirt and into her skin. Blood began to seep from the wound but she paid no mind to the slight pain. Instead, she stabbed her sword into the ground, took hold of the boy's blade, ignoring the sharp metal slicing into her palms, and jerk him towards her. She pulled back her fist and landed straight at his nose. A disgusting crunch followed by a loud howl of pain echoed through the forest. Blood spurted from the broken nose as he stared at her with sudden fear. She had returned her sword to her hand and was pointing it straight at his throat.

"I suggest you run like hell before I decide to dismember you," she warned darkly. He backed off.

"Seriously? You guys are going to back away from a fight with a girl? What is wrong with you?" Landon asked incredulously.

"Hey, she and her cat obviously have been trained. You fight her," the one with the broken nose suggested. Landon gave an arrogant smile before drawing out his sword.

His movements were slow, delayed by the weight of his armor. She couldn't help but smirk. She held off his attacks without much effort. He was a skilled swordsman no doubt, but his age and less than adequate training had left him less than superior to her.

"The only reason Gumball sent you was because he wants in your skirt. You aren't anything special," Landon spat. She wouldn't admit it, but the comment actually stung. She paused for a moment. Fionna knew Landon was just trying to be an ass, but she had not really considered what Gumball thought of her. When he originally assigned her the task of going after Marshall, she had assumed it was because he thought her to be brave and skilled. However, as she thought about it, she could not help but wonder if he had sent her simply because he thought she was pretty and wanted to flatter her in order to try to engage himself in inappropriate activities with her. Unfortunately, these simple contemplations had distracted her enough to allow one of the men, the one with the broken nose, to sneak up behind her. She tried to turn around in time to see one of them sneaknig towards her, but it was too late. The minute she was facing him, he plunged a small dagger into her stomach. She let out a struggled cry of pain and fell to her knees, her hands covering her bleeding wound. As an adventurer, she had experienced pain before. Therefore, she was not concerned about fainting or crying. However, blood loss was not something even her body would be able to handle and she was already feeling a bit light headed.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Landon demanded his comrade, his eyes locked on the injured girl in front of him.

"She was trying to hurt us so I…"

"She is a girl for Glob's sake! You don't just stab a girl! Besides, she is one of Gumball's favorites! Are you an idiot? He will have all of our heads if she dies!"

"She won't die, the blade isn't large enough…"

"Ever heard of infection? Bleeding out? You are such a moron!"

"I think it is time for you all to leave. I have been kind enough to stay out of these quarrels, seeing as how neither you nor Fionna had any intent on actually killing each other. However, with her now hurt, I fear I am required to get involved. If you aren't gone in the next five seconds, I'm going to rip your throats out and feed your remains to the wolves," Marshall threatened in a low, dark voice. He was still hovering above them and with the dark lighting, his eyes were completely black.

"I'll help him with that too," Cake added, rushing to Fionna. The Cat wrapped herself protectively around the injured girl, glaring at the now frightened boys. They quickly picked up their unconscious friend and scurried off, throwing back deathly glares at the vampire. Once they were gone, Fionna felt Marshall's presence beside her.

"Back off," Cake hissed.

"We need to get her home quickly," Marshall muttered, his voice soft and kind. Cake obviously agreed. At this point Fionna was unable to concentrate on her wound. The only thing she could think about was the fact that Marshall had scooped her up into his arms and was holding her tightly against his chest. Even though she had hot blood running down her stomach, pooling on the back of her shirt, and slowly dripping onto the grass below, she still was unable to keep her mind from wandering to his strong broad chest. He may appear to be thin, lanky, and not much to look at as far as build, but the hardened abdomen, strong arms, and hard chest proved otherwise.

"You know, I could probably get us there faster..." Cake pointed out, uncomfortable with Marshall being to close to Fionna's bleeding body. Blood, vampire, usually the two did not mix well.

"Are we going to argue or get her home?" He raised an eyebrow, already turning to leave.

"Alright, alright, but I would like to point out the fact that you have no clue where we live,"

"Oh," he paused, "Yes, that might pose a problem," he let out a long sigh and, with great reluctance, handed over Fionna's limp body to her feline friend. Cake cradled her protectively against her body before beginning to run at a very fast pace, Marshall following close behind.

Fionna could already feel her vision began to fade as black spots danced before her eyes. _Stay awake _she told herself stubbornly _stay awake!_ If there was one thing she was good at, it was putting up a good fight, and this was one she did not plan on losing.

Cake had her back to their tree house in practically no time. She gently placed Fionna down on their couch before turning to Marshall with a clueless look.

"I honestly have no clue what I'm doing. She rarely gets injured so..."

"Move," he ordered sternly yet kindly. The cat obeyed without much question and the vampire moved in close to inspect the wound. He lifted her light blue shirt to find a deep cut in her abdomen, blood continuously flowing and pooling on the cushion beneath her. He sucked in a sharp breath, the smell of the ruby liquid was intoxicating and it took every ounce of his control not to lean down and drink.

"Get me water, clean cloths, and something to wrap the wound in," he demanded. Cake scurried off, in search of the items requested. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. The blade might not have hit any major organs, but it had obviously severed something and there was a good chance he would not be able to stop the steady blood-flow.

"Fionna?" His voice was a mere whisper. She glanced up at him, his eyes full of concern, something she did not expect to find in the deep pools of gray.

"What?"

"How are you feeling?"

"I just got stabbed in the fucking stomach, how do you think I feel?" She groaned, as a wave of nausea washed over her. She hated the smell of blood...

"Sorry,"

"How do you plan to fix me up? You have magic or whatever right?" She raised a hopeful brow. He winced slightly.

"I'm a vampire, I don't exactly have the type of magic that helps people. I am made to kill remember?"

"Right... Shit," she sighed.

"You are feverish," he noted, seeing a few beads of sweat begin to appear from under her hat.

"Yeah that tends to happen when you are wounded. Take off my hat, it feels like I'm wearing an oven on my head," Marshall reached down and tugged gently on one of the bunny ears of her hat, the soft fur tickling his finger tips. He pulled it off to reveal long golden blonde hair which was matted messily to her forehead. She let out a sigh of relief as the heat escaped.

"You know," he whispered gently, "I could help... Save you I mean,"

"What happened to the whole 'I can't help you,' thing?" She wondered.

"I can't help you with magic," he corrected her, "I never said I could not help you,"

"Oh?"

"I could always, you know, turn you,"

"Turn me?" Her brow furrowed with confusion.

"Change you, bite you, whatever, basically turn you into a vampire,"

"Hell no," she shook her head weakly.

"You would live though,"

"Aren't vampires the undead?" She pointed out.

"You aren't getting the point. I cannot guarantee that you are going to live through this whole thing. Even if I stop the bleeding, you could still get an infection, it happens all the time,"

"Well, you could always take me to a real doctor?" She suggested almost irritatedly.

"You know why I can't do that,"

"You could stay here, and Cake could take me,"

"It would raise too many questions. Look, you are probably going to think badly of me, but I am taking into account my own life and freedom. I cannot allow anyone to know where I am and who I am with. It would put both of us in danger. I am sorry, but you are staying here," he shook his head sadly. She let out a groan of frustration just as Cake returned.

"Here," she held out her arms which were full of cloths and a big bowl of water.

"Thank you," he set them down next the couch and went to work cleaning the wound. Overall, the cut was fairly clean. With the excess blood gone, he was able to inspect the cut better and see that it had indeed missed any major organs in her body. The bleeding had slowed a bit, enough for him to wrap the gash and clean her up successfully.

"She is going to need a lot of rest," he told Cake who only nodded in agreement.

"I'm staying for the night, by the way, and preferably somewhere nearby in case she needs medical attention,"

"Uh, no, you aren't staying anyway near my girl,"

"Do you want her to die?"

"No..."

"Then where shall I be sleeping?"

"Fine, just wait, I'll get you some blankets," the cat grumbled, once again scurrying off to fetch the vampire king what he asked for. All in all, it was starting to piss her off.

"My offer still stands," he told Fionna once they were alone again.

"I would never even consider it,"

"Don't be so stubborn. I'm offering immortality and a reassurance that you will not die. What more could you ask for?"

"Oh? And lets say I do allow you to change me, then what? The Prince will never talk to me again, he will probably send someone out to kill me, and I will live an eternity sucking the life out of innocent creatures!" She shouted. He let out a long breath.

"You and I both know you could live without hurting a single living creature, and so what if the prince decides he hates you? You aren't interested in him, he is boring, and it is not as if he could actually send anyone capable of killing you," he reminded her.

"Really? Because I got attacked by people who aren't even after me and they seemed to get pretty close," she gestured towards her bandaged stomach.

"That was because you are human,"

"This isn't up for discussion, I'm not going to do it,"

It was not as though Fionna had not considered it, hell, any person about to die would. However, the mere thought of what he was actually offering sent shivers of revulsion and fear through her body. She had spent her entire life hunting down creatures like him, slaying them, capturing them, doing what was needed to rid them from the world. Joining them was out of the question.

She pushed the thoughts from her mind as a shock of pain shot through her. It seemed to radiate throughout her body and she shifted uncomfortably on the couch and let out a soft whimper. Marshall only watched, looking completely helpless as he watched her writhe.

Once again, the feeling of faintness overtook her and she struggled to keep her eyes from shutting. Her consciousness was slipping and soon, she would be plunged into darkness, something she was not okay with doing. Through clenched teeth she let out a final hiss before her entire body gave in and the world around her faded away into nothingness.

**Alright, so I know Fionna is a badass but I needed to have her be weak for a while so get over it. And before you all start asking "Why didn't Marshall save her? Why did he just watch?" I will explain that in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please keep reviewing. Your reviews are the reason I even bother to update this story! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Feelings

**Most of this chapter is purely Marshall's thoughts and feelings towards Fionna. It's not very long or exceptionally exciting, but I hope you enjoy it anyway Thank you to all my loyal fans who have littered this story with amazing reviews! Keep it up!**

Marshall stared down at Fionna's pale face, an unexpected feeling of protectiveness surging through him. He did not understand why he suddenly felt so responsible for the girl in front of him, for he knew that she was the last person in the world that needed protecting. However, seeing her in such a vulnerable state made him want nothing more than to protect her from everything. Perhaps it was because she was the one person in all of Aaa that he could actually relate to.

"You should have let me change you," he sighed softly. He then surprised himself by reached out and brushing a few damp strands of honey blonde hair aside. Her skin was incredibly soft as his fingertips brushed it and he found that he could not stop himself from caressing her cheek.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Cake's voice sounded from behind him. She threw the blankets to the ground and rushed to the side of her friend, an expression of concern and fear plastered to her face.

"She has fainted from loss of blood. I have one more favor to ask of you…"

"Favors? Why don't you quit making demands and get your own damn stuff! Besides, I should kill you! You could have helped her but you didn't. Why the hell didn't you help her?" She demanded angrily, growing three times her normal size and grabbing Marshall by the throat roughly. He made no attempt to free himself and instead allowed his gaze to drop to the floor.

"I wanted to… Which is why I didn't," he sighed.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Marshall met his eyes with Cake's and he knew that he undoubtedly looked pitiful. "I didn't try to save her because in that moment, when I saw what was about to happen I realized that I cared, which scared the shit out of me okay? I'm not supposed to be close to a human, let alone a female. I don't live a life in which friends are safe. I didn't want to care, I didn't want to get hurt by saving her now and possibly killing her myself later. I panicked, and I had hoped that maybe if someone else killed her, I wouldn't have to care anymore.

"However, when he actually stabbed her, I felt like I had been stabbed, so I intervened. I know I could have helped and I know her condition is my fault. That is why I want to help, why I am now asking you to bring me someone trustworthy, willing to give her blood and not try to turn me in. Please," he had never begged for anything in life. In all honesty, he was much too proud to beg. But her felt responsible for what had happened to Fionna and he intended to do what he could to fix it. Even if that meant begging. Cake stared at the vampire in surprise, her grip faltering and allowing him to fall to the ground.

"Well… That will be a problem because she is the only person in Aaa that's human," Cake pointed out.

"Shit, I forgot about that," he murmured under his breath, feeling anxiety begin to crawl under his skin like tiny bugs that would never go away.

"Well," Cake began hesitantly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well what?"

"There is Steven Strong…"

"Who is that?"

"Just a guy we know. Anyway, we think he may be human, but we haven't figured that part out yet. He won't take off his hat so it's a little unclear. But he is kind of our only hope at the moment. If I bring him here you can't do anything that would scare him or upset him, he is a bit skittish still," she warned.

"Whatever, that's fine, just hurry up please," it was meant to sound like an order, but came out as more of a plea. Cake nodded and left with a small flick of her tale. Marshall carefully picked up one of the blankets meant for him and carefully placed it over Fionna.

With nothing more to do, he crossed his legs and allowed himself to float a few feet off the ground, his eyes traveling over the delicate features of the girl below him. As a guy, it was hard for him not to imagine certain scenarios with the beautiful creature, but he knew they would never happen. He was a vampire. It's not as if girls found him unattractive, but the moment they realized who he was, things got complicated. Not that he had ever really wanted any of the girls in Aaa. Most of them were spoiled princesses and he had no interest spending any time with someone so delicate that he could accidently break them.

Perhaps that was why he was so attracted to Fionna. She was strong, she was someone he could enjoy spending time with. Granted, yes, she was all about justice and bringing down people like him, but that did not make him hate her. In fact, he respected her.

His eyes paused on her nearly perfectly shaped lips. He saw that they were slightly cracked, probably chapped, and for some reason he found it sexy. This girl was real. Everything about her was real. From the sweat that covered her brow, to the blood still stained on her shirt. Unlike the princesses of Aaa, she actually looked real. The realization made him only ache more. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her….

Without realizing it he had moved his face dangerously close to hers. Each soft breath that left her parted lips hit his face like a whisper. The heat emanating from her body was nearly intoxicating. He could see the blood flowing beneath her pale skin; he could hear her heartbeat which was surprisingly strong considering the circumstances.

Something inside him snapped and before he knew what he was doing, he had pressed his lips ever so softly against hers. Even though she did not kiss him back, or rather, she couldn't, he still felt like he had been lit on fire. Every sleeping nerve in his body awoke and suddenly, he realized that the reason he had felt so empty and dead for so long, was because he had not felt _anything _for so long. He leapt back in surprise, his heart pounding mercilessly against his ribs. Marshall had felt something, and it scared the shit out of him. Yes, he thought she was gorgeous, and strong, and kind, and amazing, but that did not mean he was supposed to feel anything for her!

"No, no, no," he murmured under his breath.

Marshall Lee the Vampire King had feelings for her, and he was terrified.

**Thanks for reading, please review!**


	7. The Dream

**Hey! Okay, first off, thank you all soo much! You guys are the best. Seriously, out of all my stories, this one has the most reviews and gets the most attention. That's all thanks to you amazing people. Keep it up, I love what you have to say and I'll answer any questions you have. **

**ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:**

**I don't have many questions yet, but one that has come up is:**

**"Why was LSP still a girl"**

**Answer: Well, as I stated on the first chapter, I'm using most of the gender swapped characters, but some will stay the same. So far, the ones I would like to stay the same are:**

**LSP**

**Peppermint Butler**

**Flame Princess**

**Ice King**

**There may be more, but so far those are the ones I plan to keep the same. Not all will be featured in this story, but there may be mention of them. So just keep that in mind. I did that because that is just how I wanted to write this. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!**

Fionna dreamed that she was with Gumball. She knew it was a dream because she was wearing a stupid white dress, something she never would ever place herself in. They were sitting up in the Cloud Kingdom, the sun just beginning to set behind the mountains, casting the sky into a brilliant orange and pink.

"You look... Beautiful," Gumball sighed, gazing at her sickeningly sweetly.

"Th-thanks," she stuttered. Adventurer or not, she was still a girl, and as a girl she enjoyed the compliment. She especially enjoyed it becasue it was comming from a rather attractive prince.

"Fionna, I've wanted to tell you for a very long time, I think I am in love with you," he murmured. Her breath caught in her throat and she was unable to move. Love? No, no, no. She did not believe in love and she certainly did not believe that the prince in front of her was in _love _with her. However it was a dream and she had no control over what came from her lips.

"I think I love you too," she admitteded, an involuntary blush filling her creamy complexion.

Gumball smiled, leaning in. She could smell the sweetness of his breath and the sugary scent of his skin. Dream or not, she always wondered what his skin would taste like. He leaned in closer, his lips only an inch away from hers.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked politely. Inside, she was screaming no. Not that she did not somewhat secretly wish to kiss him, she just did not want her first kiss to be in a dream and for some odd reason, she did not want it to be with him. There was something holding her back, a deep tugging in her chest that almost made her feel guilty for even having this dream. It was... It was as if someone else was holding her back. But there was no one else... Was there? Her thoughts drifted towards a certain pale gray skinned boy, but she quickly shook those thoughts away. She did not love Marshall... She couldn't... She wouldn't...

"You want to kiss me?" She gulped.

"I have always wanted to kiss you, Fionna,"

"Why?"

"I already told you, I love you," he gave a breath-taking smile. Yet for some reason, it did not effect her like she thought it would.

"Oh," was all she could say.

"So can I? Kiss you I mean?"

"Yes," she whispered back. He closed the distance between them, pressing his lips softly against hers. However, when he did so, the sweetness when away. There was no delicious taste, there was no candy smell, in fact, there was something else. A pleasant scent, a familiar one. One that smelled like fresh earth and warmth. His lips were kind, curious, tender, but only there for a moment. He pulled back in almost surprise and when she opened her eyes, she realized that it was no longer Gumball sitting in front of her. In his place, staring at her with confusion and fear, was the vampire king.

She woke with a jolt. Her breathing was labored and she was still drenched in sweat. Fionna's eyes searched for any living being on the room and settled on the only one she could find.

Marshall.

Except he did not look like himself. In fact, he looked quite terrified.

"What's going on?" She asked, her voice hoarse and cracking. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly clamped it shut. "Where is Cake?"

This time he answered, "She went to go get someone to help with a blood transfusion," he explained simply.

"Blood transfusion?" Her brow furrowed.

"Yes, you lost a lot of blood and I have to put more in your body if you are to live,"

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" She wondered, noticing that his gaze was still filled with fear and what appeared to be utter bewilderment. Something had happened while she had been sleeping.

"Nothing," he answerd much to quickly. Now he looked nervous. She could not help but think back to her dream and realize that the expression on his face then was very similar to the one in her dream. Even with very little blood, she was still able to blush.

"I feel really dizzy," she suddenly groaned, feeling faintness over-take her once more. This time she would not pass out. Not this time. Not again. No more dreams. She fought against it with all her will, refusing to allow herself to slip into the dreamland.

"What? Are you okay? No, that's stupid, try to stay awake if you can, okay?" Marshall's fear melted away into concern as he returned to her bedside, a hand resting on her damp forehead to check her fever. What was with the sudden change? Why was he suddenly so caring?

"Glob, I feel fucking awful!" Her pained moan sounded through the empty house, "It hurts so bad and I feel really cold,"

As if on cue, Marshall threw two more blanket's over her, no doubt they were the blankets he was supposed to sleep on. A small tugging in her chest made her heart beat faster. What the hell was going on?

"Better?" He asked, hope filling his voice.

"Yeah," she lied. Truth was, she was still freezing. However, seeing the partial relief flood his features made that pleasant tugging increase even more. He looked so helpless yet so determined to fix her. It was... Oh Glob... She realized that she was about to finish that sentence with the word "cute". Cute? Cute? No, she would not admit it. Not to herself, not to anyone. No matter how much she felt that deep down, it was not there. As if having an attractive towards Gumball was not hard enough, she suddenly had to start liking the vampire? She was supposed to hunt him down! Not get all gushy around him!

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry, for not saving you, I should have," he apologized with deep sincerity.

"Save me? What makes you think I need saving?" She was trying to sound tough and failing miserably.

"What makes me think that? Could it be that I just watched you get stabbed?" He wondered with thick sarcasm. Now there was the Marshall she first met.

"Yet here I am, still alive,"

"Yeah, well, if your friend doesn't hurry up I'm not sure how much longer you will be," he admitteded, the solemn seriousness returning.

"That bad, damn, it's really that bad isn't it?" She sighed.

"If you would just let me..."

"I'm not going to become like you," she interrupted.

"I can save you! Please, let me," he was begging at this point, something she had not expected.

"I don't want to! I'd rather die,"

"Damn it! What if I don't want you to? What if I would rather change you and have you live, knowing that I had kept you alive, having you hate me for an eternity, than watch you die? You and I both know I could have stopped him from hurting you, and I didn't. This is my fault and I have every intention of fixing it one way or another. Let me help you, please,"

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is. What happened, happened, that is all there is to it. If you change me agianst my will, I will make it my mission to kill you, and then kill myself," she warned. He slumped down with obvious defeat, anger, and frustraion.

"I hate this," he murmured more to himself than to her. She could not help but wonder what exactly he was referring to. Before she could ask, Cake came bursting through the door, a tall figure following behind her.

"Fionna! You're awake!" She exclaimed, practically pouncing on her, careful to avoid the wound. "Ah girl, I was afriad I was going to lose you. Look who I brought! It's Steven!"

In the doorway stood the very large being whose species still remained a mystery. His blonde hair peaked out from under the wolf-like hat. His facial features were very defined, very masculine, and every inch of him was covered in gleaming muscles. Steven's eyes were a deep blue, beautiful gems set within amazingly strinking features. He was a sight to behold and even Marshall shrank away from his mere size.

"Hi Steven," Fionna greeted him softly.

"Cat says Fionna is hurt. Steven come to help," his deep voice rang througout the treehouse. Although not intelligent, his words still help their concern and meaning.

"This is Steven Strong?" Marshall wondered, his head cocked to the side with a slightly puzzled expression twisting his handsome features.

"Steven, if you want to help her, you got to take off that hat. We have to see if you are a fish person, okay?" Cake told him with a kind patient voice.

"Hat come off? I don't take hat off," he shook his head.

"You want to help your friend don't you?"

"Steven want to help friend,"

"Then please take off your hat," the cat insisted. Steven Strong grunted, seeing that Fionna looked rather awful. With a bit of reluctance he brought his large hand to one of the ears of his hat and began to tug. _This is it, _Fionna thought to herself with sudden excitement, _This is it. I will finally get my answer. I will finally know if he is human or not._ His hat fell to the ground and Fionna gasped...

**Eh, I love cliffhangers. I figured they would piss off enough people to want to read some more. The next chapter might not be up for a while, I've been somewhat busy doing the crazy stuff that 16 year olds do during summer vacation so you shall just have to wait for a little bit. However, as I've said in the past, the more reviews, the more reason for me to update. So keep those reviews comming!**


	8. Jealousy

**HOLA! Thank you all for being the best fans on this website. Seriously, this is my most reviewed story and it continues to recieve amazing reviews from you amazing people. I would not even bother updating if it were not for you guys. Love you!**

His hat fell to the ground and Fionna gasped...

"Steven," she breathed, her eyes unable to leave his long blonde hair and humanly shaped head. No gills. Marshall watched with a stab of pain in his chest. The way she stared at him, the way he stared at her. It was sickening sweet. There was obvious affection and he was unable to determine what sort of affection they shared. Against his better judgement, he very much hoped it was the sort of love shared by family members.

To make matters worse, Steven was gorgeous. Even Marshall had to admit that this guy was practically perfect and to make matters worse, he was completely decked out in muscles. There was no way Marshall could compete. Not that he wanted to, he quickly added to his thoughts. _Ah fuck, no point in denying it. I'm incredibly jealous and it sucks! _

"Steven help Fionna, Steven not fish person. How does Steven help?" His eyes fell towards the Cake who's eyes were still wide with awe. She shook away her initial shock and turned her attention towards Marshall.

"So how does this work?" She asked.

"I do not have the proper supplies, exactly, so you will just have to trust me," he warned in a grave voice. Marshall knew that transfusions were risky if you were not a doctor, but he understood the importance of saving the adventurer. "I have syringes and needles..."

"Why the hell do you have those with you?" Fionna wondered.

"Because sometimes I just need small snacks. I don't always try to kill my victims you know," he rolled his eyes, "Anyway, I have a few needles and syringes, but I need some clear tubing," he threw a glance at Cake who let out a loud groan.

"Come on! Do I gotta do everything? We may have some left over from when we had fish. We used it to drain the tanks so I wouldn't count on them being too sanitary," she warned with a flick of her tail.

Cake returned with some clear tubing that looked as though it would suffice. He did not exactly have any other options anyway.

"Thank you very much. I hate to be a bother again but I need you to get Steven some water. He will need a lot considering how much blood I will have to take from him. Luckily he is very large therefore I should be able to take a considerable ammount of blood without causing damage. Alright, Steven sit down right there," he gestured for the large human to sit in the chair next to Fionna. He complied without a word while Cake rushed off to get some water. Marshall lifted the tubing to his nose and inhaled deeply.

Being a vampire made his senses much stronger than a human's. So as he inhaled, he could smell everything still in the tubes. It smelled a little bit like like fish, but there seemed to be no bacteria or anything that would pose a serious threat. He shrugged, satisfied with it's condition.

He turned his senses towards the male human, gently taking his hand and pressing it to his nose. Steven didn't seem to understand but made no attempt to move. A smile twitched on Marshall's lips. They were the same blood type. What were the odds?

He withdrew two syringes and needles from his backpockets and went to work on attatching the tubes properly. It was difficult but finally was finished.

He went over to Steven first.

"This may hurt a tiny bit, but it isn't dangerous okay?" He said in a soft soothing voice, remembering what Cake was said. The human looked down at the gleaming needle with reluctance, but nodded anyway. Masrhall carefully took his enormous arm and inserted it. Steven jumped with a yelp, more shocked than in pain, and watched with facination as the blood started to flow through the clear tubing. Marshall let it fill up not only the tubing but the other syringe as well, not wishing there to be any air bubbles.

Finally he went over to Fionna and stared into her blue eyes. He gave a tight lipped smile before pressing the needle into her vein. She didn't even flinch.

"Alright, well, I'll have to monitor Steven to make sure he does not lose too much blood, but for now, all there is to do is sit and wait," Marshall shrugged, plopping down between the humans, allowing the tube to rest in his lap.

"Steven, drink up! Don't want you passing out now!" Cake forced a large cup of water into his hands. He gave a smile before gulping it down.

"Probably should of told him to sip it but whatever," Marshall muttered under his breath. He turned his attention to Fionna who, to his surprise, was staring at him.

The two locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity. Marshall's heart raced and he felt a blush crawl to his cheeks. His fingers just itched to touch her skin, to feel the softness, to have her lips against his, except this time he wanted her to kiss him back.

Damn he hated these stupid emotions. He had wandered around the land of Aaa for a very long time and he had never dealt with the emotional attatchment that he was suffering right then and there.

Finally she spoke, he voice slightly stronger than before, "I had a dream, when I was unconscious,"

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it was about Prince Gumball..." _Oh Glob, I don't want to hear this, _he groaned internally. "He told me he loved me,"

"Facinating," he rolled his eyes, really wishing she would stop.

"Yeah," she frowned, as if she was having difficulty trying to say what she wanted to say, "And then he kissed me except,"

"I really don't want to hear this," he interrupted. Her frown deepened and she suddenly looked irritated.

"Except suddenly he wasn't Gumball anymore," she continued. Alright, so it wasn't as bad as he thought...

"Then who was it?"

Fionna sucked in a sharp breath, contemplating her answer. He could see that she was suddenly embarrassed and definitely regretted bringing it up.

"Now now, Fionna, you cannot start describing such a fluffy dream without continuing. The suspense is killing me, really," he smirked teasingly. "In all seriousness, please continue,"

"It wasn't Gumball..." She said slowly, "It was you,"

His chest ached and suddenly he felt as though he couldn't breath. What the hell was happening to him? He quickly put on a mask of composure, refusing to let her see how much that one comment had affected him.

"Well women can hardly resist me, it's only natural you would have a dream about me," he winked. Her gaze dropped with what appeared to be dissapointment. She shook her head before saying:

"This was stupid, I shouldn't have said anything. I should have known you'd be a total ass about it,"

_Dammit! She looks hurt you idiot! You like her, and you hurt her. What the hell is wrong with you? FIX IT!_

"I apologize for being impolite," he ammended, his eyes filled with sincerity.

"How long I sit like this?" Steven piped up. Marshall sighed at the interruption, turning back towards the incredibly large man and examining him. His heartbeat was strong and no colour had left his cheeks.

"It may be a while longer," he told him. Steven let out a huff of anoyance, eyeing the needle in his arm with distaste.

"I do not like shiny metal thing. It not feel good,"

"Yes, but you are helping Fionna, isn't that more important?"

"I like help Fionna," His eyes flickered to her and once again, there was that affection.

"Thank you Steven," she offered him a warm smile.

"Fionna look pretty, Fionna always look pretty,"

Fionna blushed, a good ammount of red darkening her cheeks. The delicious sight made Marshall suddenly realize that he was hungry again. It did not help that the sweet hot liquid he desired was resting in his lap, a plastic barrier as the only thing between him and it. His fangs would easily penetrate it...

"You okay?" Cake asked him.

"Fine, just a little hungry,"

"You fed not too long ago," she noted.

"I know, it's a small hunger, not unmanagable. I only noticed it because of the transfusion," he explained. She nodded.

"Alright, just keep away from Fionna okay? I think she has lost enough blood for now,"

"I would not dream of hurting her," he murmured. His gaze droppped as he thought back to her being attacked. He could have stopped all that from happening...

"Hmph," Cake's head tilted to the side as she studied him. Her expression suggested that she was discovering something but was unsure if to mention it.

"I stay here with Fionna and cat?" Steven's voice carried over the whole room, grabbing the vampire's attention.

"Of course you can stay. You are human and you-"

"Not for a while," Marshall quickly said.

Fionna looked puzzled.

"You are going to have a bit of a recovery period and too many people can cause too much excitement and slow down the healing process. I may be able to help with the blood situation, but you still have a nasty wound," he explained somewhat sheepishly, not feeling like adding the fact that he didn't really want Steven around Fionna.

"Why don't you just leave then?" She suggested.

"Becuase I'm the only one here able to properly care for you,"

"Cake could-"

"No," he argued.

"It's not like Steven is going to bug me and this is my house. Besides, I'm supposed to turn you in! You're lucky I haven't already so just zip it okay?" She snapped.

"I've been nothing but nice to you. Hell, I'm trying to save your life right now, couldn't you show a little gratitude?"

"Whatever," she sighed, deflating. She suddenly looked exhausted. He leaned over closer to her, speaking in a voice so low that only the adventurer could make out what he was saying.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness. I'm not used to helping people, and I'm not used to caring," he admitted.

"Caring?" Her eyes widened as she whispered, "You care? About me?"

"Against my will, yes,"

"Shit," she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Your not supposed to fall for a target. Makes things messy,"

"Fall? Does this mean you care as well?" He hadn't realized how hopefull he sounded until those words parted from his lips.

"Against my will, yes," she quoted him. There it was again, that weird ache, the one that made him practicaly breathless. It confused him. It was painful, but also pleasant. It made him feel sad, but happy at the same time. He was unable to stop a stupid smile from curling his lips. He leaned in a little, suddenly having the urge to kiss her, when there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Hell," he muttered under his breath, pulling away.

"I got it," Cake scampered to the door. Marshall floated to the cieling, hiding himself in the shadows.

"Is Fionna here?" A young man asked, his voice muffled by the thick metal that covered his head.

"How many times are we gonna tell you knights? If you are gonna talk to us, take off those damn helmets!" She demanded. He removed his helmet at request, revealing a young man, no older than Marshall appeared, and he obviously was from the Candy Kingdom due to his cotton candy blue skin.

"I'm looking for Fionna," he said politely.

"Now is not a good time. What do you need?"

"Prince Gumball would like to know about her progress with the catching and killing of Marshall Lee the Vampire King," he explained.

"Oh..." Cake's voice trailed off.

"Cake? Who is it?" Fionna called from the sofa. The knight apparently lost all manners becuase without warning, he pushed his way inside, his eyes searching for the female human. When they fell on her they widened with surprise.

Not only was he surprised by her injuries, but he also looked surprised to see such a young beautiful girl lying there, the same girl who had been highly praised as an expert fighter by Gumball. His eyes moved over her body lustfully. He, however, at least had the decency to look embarrassed and quickly directed his attention back to her face.

Marshall growled lowly.

"Fi-Fionna, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to...What happened?"

"Last time I checked, it wasn't exactly considered polite to enter someone's house without being invited," she scowled, otherwise unfazed by his intrusion.

"What happened?" He repeated.

"Ask the dickheads over at the Fire Kingdom,"

"They harmed you?" He raised a concerned eyebrow.

"No, we met up, talked, and I stabbed myself," she rolled her eyes, "And tell Gumball I don't need anyone checking up on me. When I am healed I will get Marshall. Okay? I know what I'm doing and I am damn good at it. It's only been like a week, tell him to stop worrying, I'll get him,"

"He was also concerned... About you," he explained awkwardly.

"He doesn't need to be. I can take care of myself," she growled. Marshall watched from above, wishing he could go down and kick the guy out.

"I-I wish you a swift recovery, I will tell Gumball what you said. Good-bye Fionna," he bowed quickly and left.

"I hate them all," she muttered as Marshall rejoined her, "I hate the way they look at me,"

"They do not see you for who you really are. Most will not. You are talented, strong, brave, and skilled. These traits are not commonly found in women, especially not beautiful ones. You will recieve stares all your life. Take them as a compliment," he rested a soft hand on her shoulder and to his surprise, she did not shrug him off.

"Feel...Weird," Steven shook his head. Marshall sighed and examined him.

"Alright, enough blood for today," he carefully removed the needles from each of their arms. "I'll go wash these,"

There was still blood in the tube and he knew that if he wanted, he could easily drink it and satisfy the ever so slight nagging hunger. However, for some reason, he could not bring himself to do it. With a heavy sigh he rinsed out the tubes and washed out the syringes and needles. He left them to dry on the counter and returned to the group.

"Everyone out for a little while. I need to change her bandages," he ushered the cat and Steven from the room. They both looked reluctant to go and Steven looked a little off balance as they stomped off outside.

"Alright, take off your shirt," he ordered.

"What?" She yelled, a flash of anger and surprise contorting her features.

"Look, I just need to change your bandages, nothing to worry about," he raised his hands defensively.

"You think I'm going to take off my shirt in front of you? Why can't I just lift it up a little?"

"Because," he began slowly with struggled patience, "I need to wrap them around your body and it will be much easier this way. I'll turn around so you can take it off and cover your chest, if that's what you want,"

She crossed her arms and let out a breath of frustration before signaling him to turn around. He complied and waited for her to call him back. When he turned he had to control his thoughts, because they went wild. She was clutching her blue shirt desperately to her chest, but it still barely covered her beautiful skin. Sure, she was riddled with bruises and cuts, but that made her all the more beautiful to him. They showed her strength, her willingness to get hurt to do what was right.

Even though he would never admit it out loud, he secretly wished to kiss each and every mark.

He was careful to hide his inner feelings and began to take off her first bandages. They were stained a dark red and smelled faintly of rust. Marshall fetched some warm water and a rag and gently cleaned the wound again. As he put pressure on her tender broken flesh she flinched and clenched her teeth.

"Sorry," he murmured in a hushed voice, pressing even lighter than before.

"It's fine, nothing I haven't felt before," she waved off his apology.

"Don't freak out," he warned. She eyed him wearily as he brought his face close to her abdomen, his nose only an inch away from the wound.

"What are you doing?" She asked. He noticed that her voice was very breathy and he could here her heart rate spike.

"Checking for infection," which there was none.

"And?"

"You're fine," he reassured her, reluctantly pulling away. As he lifted his head he realized that their faces were dangerously close. He could feel her hot labored breath on his face and it warmed him pleasantly. Her eyes were puddles of beautiful blue and he felt as though he could easily lose himself in their depths.

She seemed as stunned as he was and did not dare pull away. Her eyes left his and flickered to his lips. Did this mean she wanted him to kiss her?

"Fionna?" He asked with a hushed tone.

"Hmm?"

"How much," he gulped, "would you hate me if I kissed you?"

"Probably a lot," though her tone suggested otherwise.

"I think I'll take my chances," and he closed the distance between them.

**Aaaaannndddd I realize this is a crappy place to stop. Oh well! I hope you liked the chapter even if it was a little... Eh I'm not that happy with it but I hope it suffices:) Please review and favorite! Can I get 90 reviews before the next chapter? That's only 11 reviews right? That's not too bad! PLEASE? hehe love you!**


	9. First Kiss

**Wow, I only asked for 90 reviews and ended up with a little over 100. You must really love me! Or my story, but just let me believe you love me okay? Haha, anyway, here is the next chapter. **

Fionna was startled and she froze. _He-He's kissing me!_ She screamed inside. Her first instincts were to push him off, to slap him, maybe even kill him. However, she couldn't bring herself to really react much at all.

His lips were hot, moist, and soft against hers. The feeling was shockingly pleasant and to her utter surprise, she decided she really wanted to kiss him back. And so she did.

And she was damn glad she did.

Whether or not she wanted to really admit just how much she cared for him, she could not deny that he was extremely handsome and his lips were amazingly soft. She blushed when she realized that hers were undoubtedly not. Her lips usually were not her top priority so they were chapped...

He didn't seem to mind though. If anything, he seemed to like it. He snaked his hand through her long honey blonde hair and pulled her close. His chest pressed itself against hers and her entire body felt as though it had been lit by fire. His fangs grazed her lower lips and an involuntary pleassant shiver jolted down her spine. Marshall must have noticed her reaction because he did it again. The emotions of the kiss were sweet, the kiss itself felt dangerous. Fionna knew he was a vampire, she knew what he was capable of, yet instead of hurting her, he was kissing her.

This kiss felt as though it had gone on for hours as the world had melted away. However, when he finally pulled away, she realized it must have only been about a minute.

"Wow," she breathed, still in shock. Marshall looked shocked, and terrified. "What's wrong?" She demanded, wondering if she had done something wrong. After all, it had been her first kiss.

"Wrong? What's wrong? What the hell did I just do?" He practically yelled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" At this point, she was offended. What was up with him?

"I kissed you! And I... Dammit! I kissed you and I felt something!" He ran his fingers through his messy black hair, his eyes looking everywhere but her. So he was upset because he felt something? Didn't he already admit that he liked her? What the hell was going on?

"I felt something too! But you don't see me freaking out about it," she crossed her arms over her chest only to wince. That's when she realized that she was still topless and her wound still needed to be dressed.

"You have no clue what it's like. I don't _care_ about people. I can't care about people. I'm the vampire king, I'm not supposed to get attatched to anyone! You have no clue what it can do to me. I never get close to anybody because they will grow old and die while I sit back and watch. I have always refused to let that happen and now... Now it's too late," he frowned deeply. Suddenly she understood, and she pitied him. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to never be able to make friends knowing how emotionally damanging it would be each time.

"Look," she sighed, "I'm not going to die anytime soon so why don't we worry about this later. Besides, you may want to wrap me up before Cake and Steven start to wonder," she reminded him.

"Right,"

He brought out a fresh roll of bandages and went to work carefully wrapping her wound. He worked swiftly and skillfully, suggesting that this was not the first time he had ever dressed wounds. Of course, considering who he was and how old he was, it did not surprise her.

She tried to keep her breathing even as his hands brushed against against her abdomen, her hip, her lower back... Damn sometimes she hated how sensitive her skin could really be.

Marshall fetched her a clean shirt for her to put on and turned around politely while she pulled it over her head. Finally, he turned back around to face her.

"What happens now?" He asked her in a hushed voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Prince Gumball sent you to either turn me in, or kill me, whichever was easier. So what are you going to do? I don't think you'll kill me..."

Her spirits fell immedietly. It was true, that was her job and she knew she had to do it. Kill him? Certainly not, not now anyway. No, the only thing she could do was turn him in, but even that did not feel right. Fionna was all about justice, about taking down people that deserved it. However, upon meeting Marshall Lee, she was unable to say that he deserved it.

Would she really be able to imprison somebody for simply being what they were?

"I have to turn you in. If I don't they will think I joined you and I will become an outlaw. I can't afford to do that. However, I also cannot wrongly imprison somebody. So what if... What if I turned you in but, maybe helped you escape?" She suggested. The words tasted strange on her tongue. She was planning to help free one of the most wanted people in all of Aaa. The whole thing was out of character, but she couldn't leave him there to rot.

"You would do that for me?" He raised an almost skeptical brow.

"I would have figured you would have just said thank you and moved on. No, I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it because I couldn't live with myself if I locked someone up that wasn't guilty,"

He snorted slightly, "And what makes you think I need your help? Do you honestly think they will be able to hold me? Especially in the Candy Kingdom! Everything is made of sugar. All I would have to do is drink enough to boost my strength and break out,"

"You know, you could accept my help and not be an ass about it. Besides, how do you suppose your going to get the blood to get strong enough to break out? You think they are going to feed you well? They will give you enough red to keep you alive but that's about it," she reminded him with a deep frown. Had he always been this frustrating? At least this time he didn't have a witty comeback. He knew she was right...

"Fine, how do you suppose you are going to help?" He crossed his arms over his chest. The question almost seemed more of a test, and she knew how to pass.

"Easy. I tell Gumball that I'm going down into the dungeon to see you, tell him I'm going to try to figure out how many people you have killed, I'll let you drink from me or whatever, and then I'll say that I slipped up and acctidently got attacked," she shrugged.

"You are much too weak for me to be taking blood from you and you know it,"

"I'm not saying that I'm going to waltz in there with you tomorrow. It will probably be about a week. Until then, you have to stay here,"

"And Steven?"

"What about him?" Her brow furrowed in confusion. Marshall's eyes dropped to the ground awkwardly, his lips pulled into a tight thin line. "Wait you arent... You aren't jealous of him are you?"

"What?" He snapped.

"Holy shit, you are jealous. You think I like him!" She pointed an accusing finger in his direction and he hissed.

"I do not,"

"Oh really? Then you won't mind if he stays with us?"

He gritted his teeth, "Of course not,"

"If you don't want him here, just say it," she dared.

"I'm not jealous! Now leave me alone!"

"Alright, then he can sleep next to me tonight," a smirk twitched her lips. His eyes fell to her lips and she felt her face grow hot again. Dammit, why did he keep doing that? Finally, he looked back up at her and she saw in his deep gray eyes that he was defeated.

"Fine, I'm jealous. Happy?" He gave an exasperated sigh.

"More or less," she shrugged. Deep inside, however, his confession warmed her. He was jealous, which made it official.

He cared.

And she cared back. She was no stranger to boys chasing her like stupid puppies. However, none of them had understood her or been able to look past her exterior to see the hardened warrior underneath. Marshall understood. He knew. And she could tell from his eyes that that was the part he liked best. She wasn't some helpless flower or fragile maiden. She was someone who could keep up with him. Whether or not she wanted to admit it, they were perfect for each other.

Aside from the difference in species and mortality, they were perfect.

The only problem now was, did she want to like him? Was she willing to make herself vulnerable to such a dangerous creature? Deep down, she knew her answer was:

Yes.

**I know, not overly exciting, but I promise the next chapter will be longer and more interesting! It may be a while because I got my first job and I work a lot, I only finished this chapter because I had a day off. Hope you enjoy and keep those reviews comming! I love them!**

**By the way: I do not own adventure time or any of the characters, even though I wish I did. Especially Marshall Lee:)**


	10. Scars

**NOTE: I apologize for the mistake with the uploading process for those of you who read the mistake... I honestly have no clue how that happened. I have to upload in a weird way now so maybe something went haywire... Anyway, here is the real chapter:**

**Holy crap you guys are amazing. All these reviews? This may sound pathetic but I actually feel completely honored that you guys like this so much thank you very much for your support. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

The next few days were focused mainly on Fionna. Although Marshall would have loved to kiss her whenever he could, he refrained and kept his attention on getting her healed. Every other day consisted of blood transfusions which Steven happily participated in, and every day, sometimes twice a day, he would redress her wounds. She was a fast healer and only week later she was able to stand, use a sword and almost do anything she could before.

He could tell it still hurt, but she was tough. Damn, she was tough, and he loved it!

However, with her healed, he knew that it was only a matter of time until she would have to turn him in. He tried not to think about that as he unwrapped her bandages.

"It's going to scar," he commented lightly. She only rolled her eyes.

"As if I'm not used to that," she gestured towards her scar-ridden flesh

"True," he shrugged. For a reason unbeknownst to him, he reached out a finger and traced one of the large pink markings on her stomach. Her abdomen clenched reflexively at the touch and she flinched slightly. He liked the way her eyes glistened with odd curiosity and embarrassment at his touch.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"Where did this one come from?" He wondered. His fingertips just barely touching her skin.

"Oh, a battle with the Ice King. I don't think he meant to hurt me so badly, but he sliced me pretty good with some ice," her own fingers flickered to the pink that stood out against her pale skin.

"And this one?" His fingers moved upwards a bit and there was that same clench of her stomach, he pretended not to notice to save her further embarrassment.

"Dragon scratched me,"

"This?" He moved upwards again. Her breath caught in her throat as his fingers started to near her chest.

"Dagger….Goblin," she said breathlessly.

"What about this one?" His touch hovered just below her right breast and she shivered. He didn't plan to go up any further, but he liked the light flush on her cheeks and the way her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"Actually, I think I got that one rough housing with Cake and I fell on a glass vase," she giggled quietly, less out of humor and more from the sensation. He offered her a crooked smile and dropped his hand. She almost looked… Disappointed at the sudden lack of contact, but she quickly hid it.

"Anyway," he sighed, "I don't need to wrap it again. A simple bandage will do. It would have healed quicker if you had let me stitch it..."

"I let you stick needles in me all week, I wasn't about to let you sew me up like a doll," she shook her head stubbornly. He only shrugged, taking out some tape and a few pieces of gauze, creating a little patch over the nearly healed wound.

"Thank you,"

"Anything for milady," he teased, bowing dramatically as she pulled down her shirt.

"Hey, where is Cake and Steven?" She suddenly wondered.

"Oh, they went to pick someone up from the Cloud Kingdom. I think Cake said his name was Bamo. No that's not it. It was B…"

"Beemo?" She offered.

"Yeah!"

"Right, you haven't met Beemo. We sent him to the Cloud Kingdom with a friend while we were away hunting you,"

And as if on cue, three beings burst through the door, all of them wearing large smiles from whatever conversation they had been having prior to coming through the door. One of them, the one Marshall Lee assumed was Beemo, was a little green electronic box of sorts. He was a curious little guy and he spoke with an odd accent.

"That was very funny Cake," he grinned widely before his eyes fell on Marshall. His smile immediately vanished.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"Oh! I can't believe that slipped my mind!" Cake smacked her forehead, "Beemo, this is Marshall Lee the Vampire King,"

"Marshall Lee? Shouldn't he be in chains? I thought Gumball sent you to get him…" His little black eyes flattened to confused slits.

"I'll explain later," Fionna sighed, "Hey Marshall, wanna play?"

"Play?"

"Yeah, a videogame, on Beemo,"

"Err…. Sure," he plopped down on the couch beside her as Beemo climbed onto the coffee table in front of them.

"Alright, you take this," she handed him a little device which she later called a "controller" and grabbed one for herself.

"What do I do now?" He asked, his eyes examining the gaming controller as if it was an advanced piece of machinery rather than a piece of plastic and some wires. She giggled lightly at his innocence towards the subject and gave him short but easy instructions on how to use it.

The next two hours were spent with Fionna kicking Marshall's ass at the game. He tried his hardest, but was unable to fully understand how exactly the little talking box worked. Most of the time he just sort of stared at the screen, fascinated by the moving images.

"This is all really new to you isn't it?" She asked halfway through their game.

"Very,"

"It kind of surprises me that you've never played a video game considering how lonely you must be,"

"My mother never bought me any, and usually I just entertained myself with that," he nodded towards his bass which was propped against one wall nearby.

"How did you learn to play that? You're really good," she complimented, pausing the game to look at him. He felt a familiar yet almost annoying tightening in his chest as she fixed her pretty blue eyes on him. The tightening only got worse as she complimented him.

"I taught myself mostly. I learned the chords from a friend in the Fire Kingdom and from then on I taught myself how to play songs and I started to write music," he shrugged.

"Your music is beautiful. It's haunting and sad, but beautiful," she offered him a kind smile.

"Thank you," he felt his face start to grow warm. He watched as her lips slowly turned down into a frown and her eyes dropped.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't want to turn you in," she admitted.

"It'll be fine I'm sure," he waved off what he thought was concern.

"Well I'm not afraid that it will go wrong it will just… Feel wrong I guess,"

"Feel wrong?"

"Come on, after all the shit that has happened in the past week you're going to tell me that you don't know what I'm talking about?" She raised an eyebrow, then quickly added, "and I tell me the truth. I don't want any of your damn witty quips okay?"

He shrank back a little. _Wait a minute_, he thought to himself, _I already told her I liked her! She isn't going to make me say it against is she? It was already hard enough the first time…_

"What do you want me to say?" He finally sighed.

"I don't know. You could always tell me that it was a stupid idea and that I should just hide you here, or let you go,"

"Yeah, and you still have a reputation to uphold. No, it's a great idea and we are going to do it. In fact, we are going to do it tomorrow. The more we wait, the more likely you are to not do it. You are healed enough to go out and do whatever you adventurers do so you'll take me to the Candy Kingdom tomorrow," he decided, thought admittedly, his stomach twisted in knots at the thought.

He knew the plan, and he knew it would work. That, however, did not stop him from feeling a little frightened. There were reasons why he usually did not make plans. He had never been very good at keeping them. Something usually went wrong, someone would get hurt, it usually wasn't him, and then his life would inexplicably become much harder than it already was. But he trusted this plan, against his better judgment, and he trusted Fionna and Cake.

He trusted them, and he hoped he wouldn't regret it.

_Please don't let me regret it….._

**What to expect: The next chapter is going to include "The Plan" as I've decided to call it **

**Thanks for reading and I hope to read more of your reviews. I seriously get excited every time my email says someone reviewed or favorited this story!**


	11. Caged, Broken, and Desperate

**I am really hoping you guys like this chapter. I LOVED writing it, but I can't be sure if I did the best I could. Oh well!**

**Thank you all your reviewers and followers! I love you! Your comments are unbelievably sweet and flattering **

**Enjoy!**

**Oh! Note! I usually switch POV alternately by chapter, but in this chapter I switched the POV in the middle. It starts as Fionna but ends with Marshall. You'll see why **

"You sure about this?" Fionna whispered in Marshall's ear. She had his hands tied behind his back and was holding them rough enough to not raise suspicion, but softly enough not to hurt him.

"Of course," his voice suggested otherwise, but he was trying to hide it. She let out a sigh, her stomach twisting into knots as they approached the gate to the Candy Kingdom.

"It's Fionna! Fionna has arrived with the vampire king! Tell the prince!" One of the guards yelled. Fionna rolled her eyes.

"Very dramatic,"

"I don't know, I think I like the attention," he teased. She playfully jabbed him in the back and he only chuckled.

The city became barren as they made their way down the streets of brittle. Candy cane lamps began to flicker awake as the sun started to set behind the looming castle. No doubt people were rushing inside their houses at the sight of the monster amongst them. Marshall simply looked amused. Deep down, she suspected their fear hurt a little, but from years of hiding emotions, he managed to look nothing but amused.

Finally they reached the steps of the castle where none other than the prince himself stood. Fionna suddenly felt an awful hatred towards herself as she felt her breath quicken. Instead of his usual royal attire, he looked simply like a young man. A casual button up shirt, black slacks, and his bubblegum hair was in a messy disarray around his head. Overall he looked sexy, and she hated that. Especially with Marshall right there…

"Fionna!" Prince Gumball exclaimed.

"Your Majesty," she bowed respectfully.

"I'm so happy to see you are better. I was informed of your misfortune and I would have come to visit but the knight who told me advised against it. How are you feeling?" He asked, concern filling his voice though he did not move from his spot.

_Probably afraid of Marshall. _

"I'm fine," she shrugged, "I did what I was sent to do, just like I promised I would," whispering a tiny apology, she gave Marshall a hard shove towards Gumball.

"Damn you stupid girl! I get it, I'm a prisoner! What the hell is up with the roughness?" He snapped angrily. Sure, it was an act, she knew as much, yet for some reason it hurt all the same. She wouldn't let it show though.

"Shut up,"

"I never doubted you for a moment," the prince completely ignored the two's interactions, his attention completely directed at the pretty adventurer.

"Shall I take him to the dungeon?" She asked.

"Oh!" For the first time since Fionna had arrived, Gumball's eyes rested on the vampire and he suddenly scowled. "Yes, follow me,"

He led them to a cellar door on the outside of the castle, opening the large chocolate doors to reveal nothing but a bottomless pit. Nonetheless, they went down. Fionna noticed that Marshall had no trouble maneuvering through the darkness. Then again, he was a vampire. She, on the other hand, had to reach out a cautious foot to search for the next step.

Finally they reached the bottom where there were a few candles lit. The dim lighting was hardly enough, but she could at least see.

"Alright, put him in there," he pointed to a cell made out of, to her surprise, iron bars. What happened to the candy dungeon?

"Alright, come on leech," she pushed Marshall inside with enough force that the vampire fell to the chocolate dust, dirt ground.

"Is the name calling necessary?" He spat.

"Completely,"

"Ignore him," Gumball rolled his eyes, locking shut the door. The loud clang of metal rang in Fionna ears and filled her with emptiness. She was separated from him now. Dammit, she was separated from the one person who truly understood her, who she was starting to believe she could possibly love…

"Can we get out of here please? I can't see much," she asked quietly. The prince nodded, immediately heading for the stairs. With him out of ear shot she leaned into the cold bars and looked at the vampire with wide apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'll come back for you in five days, I promise," she whispered. Even in the dark she could see his gray eyes flash with a little bit of fear. She understood. He was a vampire, a king, and he was not used to being caged. His tongue flicked out to lick his lips in an almost childish way and he nodded.

Before any suspicion could be raised, she quickly left and followed the prince up the stairs. Leaving Marshall alone in the dark.

MPOV

Marshall was used to the dark. Hell, he was a vampire; he kind of had to be. However, he was not used to the entrapment. He hated the way the bars seemed to get closer and closer, like they might squeeze the life out of him at any moment. To make matters worse, he had forgotten to feed before coming and he was already very thirsty.

Three days passed by and, to his utter horror, no one came down. He was alone, utterly alone. The darkness cradled him with familiarity, thankfully, but the bars made him anxious. He found himself often pressed against them desperately. He pushed and groaned, wishing he could stretch them away. Why couldn't the cell be bigger?

The thirst was becoming unbearable too. His throat was dry, his stomach burning with need. Humans could go more than a week without food. A vampire often could barely last two. It was part of the curse. He was just passing three, or at least, he assumed so. He had no access to time, he knew not what day it was, nor how long each day was. He assumed three days. Though he did not know it, he was right.

Three days in a cage. Three days without blood.

"Hey!" He screamed, his throat raw. "Hey someone want to come down here before I die?"

There was no answer. Not that he really expected one. A low growl built in his throat. It was a sound of pain and anger.

Very few people knew what happened to a vampire that did not feed. The death process was slow, and painful. Their body would begin to feel as though a fire had been lit inside the stomach and was slowly devouring the rest of them. It would sear their veins, make them weak, make them animals. That was how Marshall felt. He felt much like a trapped animal. About midday on the fourth day, he was unable to stand. His legs literally gave out and he was unable to move them again.

Suddenly there was a sound. Footsteps? Someone was coming down!

"Hello?" He called out. No response, just continuous footsteps, steady, methodical, and for once in a very long time, true fear twisted his stomach. He had a feeling, a dreadful feeling, that whoever was walking down those stairs had absolutely no intention of helping him.

Finally, the person reached the bottom of the stairs and Marshall's spirits plummeted completely.

"Hello leech," Prince Gumball hissed with disgust.

"What do you want pretty boy?" Marshall's voice was weak, but he still managed to somehow sound like himself.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing," he shrugged.

"Hmm… Well, I've been better. For instance, I'm dying of thirst you idiotic masochist!"

"You've killed many of my people, this is simply your punishment, a well-deserved one," his voice was even, almost sociopathic even. What the hell?

"I don't expect you to understand. And I was sure that you were above torture. Apparently you are just as much of a low life as I am," Marshall Lee growled.

"I see,"

"Why the hell are you down here anyway, if you have no intentions of keeping me alive?"

"Well, actually, I came to confirm an observation. I am a scientist after all,"

"Mad scientist," Marshall muttered under his breath. Gumball ignored him.

"You see, when Fionna brought you down here, I noticed that you were looking at her a little funny. I didn't think much of it at the time, but after some pondering, I realized, that you are quite in love with her aren't you?"

Although inside he was burning, he suddenly felt himself go cold.

"What?"

"You're in love with Fionna the human,"

"You know, people keep telling me you are smart but…"

"You can try to deny it," Gumball interrupted, "But your words mean nothing. I saw your eyes, I know. No need to hide it. It really is nothing to be ashamed of. She is beautiful, strong, and magnificent. Her skin is as beautiful as a delicate petal, her eyes as blue as the sky, and lips delicious enough to entice any man to want to taste," he mused.

"She isn't some stupid flower you ignorant pig. She could kick your ass with her eyes closed," he retorted.

"Ah, so you do love her. I know how capable she is, I admire that about her. I came down here to tell you that you will never touch her again," his voice became very low, "and I want you to know that once you are dead, I intend to make her mine. I love her too, you know, quite a bit. You'll never know the softness of her lips like I will. You will never know how it feels to have her flesh at your fingertips like I will. She will be mine, and eventually, I'll marry her and I'll get to feel all of her skin. I'll enjoy every inch of her body and while I do, I'll think of you, and how you rotted in the dungeon like the parasite you are,"

Marshall felt bile rise in his throat. Blind fury roared through him and had he not been starved, he would have stopped at nothing until his had crushed the Prince's neck in his grasp.

"Fuck. You." That was all he said instead, biting his tongue as to not add in the fact that he had tasted her lips, quite a few times.

"I'll check back on you in a few days, when I am sure you are dead. Good bye Marshall Lee," he gave one last smirk before turning to leave.

"FUCK YOU!" Marshall screamed after him.

Soon enough he was alone again. Without warning, he felt wet tears beginning to dampen his cheeks. He knew the plan, yet being down there, dying, he suddenly doubted if it would succeed. He began to believe the prince's words, and it sickened him. He wanted her so bad. He wanted her with him, he wanted to feel her arms around him, telling him it was okay.

He had no clue how long he cried. He cried out of sadness, fear, and pain. Oh yes, the pain was becoming unbearable. Loud pitiful whimpers escaped his lips as he shook violently. He was becoming quite familiar with the ground since he was unable to stand, and it was the perfect place for him to curl up and sob quietly.

It must have been the fifth day because he heard footsteps again. He knew they weren't Gumball's because they were hurried, scared, but also cautious. Fionna wasn't good with the dark…

"Marshall?" A soft voice called from the stairway.

"Fionna," he croaked, pain rippling through every nerve in his withering body.

"Oh my Glob, Marshall," she ran to his cell, collapsing to the ground and breathing heavily with concern. He drank in the sight of her. She did not wear her hat and her blonde hair cascaded around her face, shimmering in the dim light. Her eyes practically glowed and he felt as though he could get lost in them. For one second, he forgot where he was. That is, until the pain reminded him. That's when he realized that he could smell her. The sweet flowing ruby liquid that pulsed through her veins… The scent was intoxicating and he literally had to stop breathing so that he would not attack.

"Get. Away," he managed to say.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't want to kill you,"

"You aren't going to kill me, here, hold on, let me get the keys," she stood up and hurried to the other side of the room. He quickly took in a breath, hoping the distance would help, but he was filled with her scent once more.

"Fionna, he was leaving me to die. I haven't fed… " he tried to explain.

"What?" She froze.

"Gumball… He was going to leave me to starve,"

"But," her brow furrowed, "That's not like him at all,"

"Yeah well, apparently you don't know him very well," he let out a loud wail as he inhaled again. The agony scorched through him. He was going to die. He was going to die in this hell…

"Just take some from me," he eyes suddenly lit up.

"Fionna no! I'll kill you," he argued.

"No you won't, it'll be fine," she smiled, grabbing the keys and coming towards him.

"Fionna! Listen to me for once! I will KILL you! Do you understand?"

"You'll die if you don't feed,"

"And you'll die if I do," he growled.

"It's okay, I know you won't kill me," she approached the cell, pushing the key into the lock.

"Stay the fuck away! I mean it!" He screamed with more energy than he knew he had.

She turned the key and there was a loud click. Trying to muster up whatever he had left inside, he tried to move away, pressing himself against the bars on the other side. Fresh tears stung his eyes. Why was she so damn stubborn?

"Come on," she swung open the door and stepped inside. Nothing was going to stop her, he saw the determination in her eyes. She was trusting him not to kill her. Why didn't she understand? He wouldn't be able to stop!

She withdrew a small dagger from her sock and pressed it against the underside of her wrist, careful to avoid the artery. The blade broke her milky skin and dark liquid began to flow out.

That was it.

That was all it took.

He lunged forward, sinking his fangs into her wrist, luckily missing the artery as well, and began to drink.

Mouthful after sweet mouthful of blood was like a bucket of water on the flames burning inside him. His throat still hurt and swallowing was extremely painful, but at least his stomach didn't feel as though it was ripping in half.

His strength returned enough that he could move his legs again properly. He heard Fionna moan as he gulped down the wonderful taste of her blood. However, he also heard soft whimpers coming from her throat. No doubt she would be feeling lightheaded by this time, and he knew that if he did not stop soon, he would kill her. But damn! Each swallow was like paradise, like heaven, it was the greatest relief he had ever felt.

"Marshall, please," her plea was meant to be quiet, but he heard the bit of fear and desperation.

He had drank enough to survive, but his body still burned enough for him to want more. He really should stop, but how could he?

"Marshall," she gasped, falling to his side, "I think you've taken enough,"

She was going to faint…

He should stop.

He couldn't stop.

"Marshall,"

Can't…Stop…

"Marshall," her voice was weaker.

Can't….

"Please," Even weaker.

Need more…

"Mar-" she blacked out. He knew she did. Yet, he still drank.

_Stop! Dammit you idiot you're killing her! You are killing her you lunatic! _

To his utter surprise, he pulled away, allowing her limp arm to drop to the ground. He gazed down at the girl beside him and saw that she was very pale, deathly so. Her heartbeat was too weak for his liking and to his horror, he realized that she was going to die. He leapt to his feet, his fingers entwining themselves in his hair.

"No," he shook his head, "I told you to stay away you idiot! Dammit!" he groaned. He had killed the girl he loved.

Yes, loved. He had known it for a while, but he had never wanted to admit it. He was Marshall Lee the Vampire King! He couldn't afford to love, yet here he was, his chest feeling as though a hole had been ripped through it. All of this because of Fionna.

She was going to die and it was all his fault. He was stupid. He never should have agreed to come. He should have left. If he had just left when she offered, she would be alive, and he would be out somewhere, playing his base and enjoying the night. Instead he was in a dirty dungeon with a nearly dead adventurer who he had no hope of saving….

Unless…

"She'll hate me," he murmured out loud, kneeling beside her unmoving form. Would he take that risk? Would he risk her hating him for an eternity simply to keep her alive?

The answer was pretty obvious: Of course he would.

He brought his own wrist to his mouth and tore through his flesh with his fangs. Fresh hot blood poured from the wound and he held the red stream to her lips. He lifted her head slightly and rested it in his lap. Blood filled her mouth and he gently rubbed her throat, trying to make sure that it was going to her stomach instead of lungs. She was still breathing so he took that as a good sign.

"Forgive me," he whispered once he had given her enough. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, the taste of his own blood stinging his tongue. He didn't care.

The two stayed that way for another hour. Marshall rocked her body carefully back and forth, humming the same tune his mother had long ago. He hoped she heard it in her state of unconsciousness, but even if she didn't, he himself found it soothing.

Finally, however, he felt her stir in his arms. His breath caught in his throat as he realized that she was waking up. Both excitement and fear filled him as he waited.

Fionna's eyes suddenly fluttered open, the sky blue they once had been were now a stormy gray with blue tints. They were beautiful. She gazed up at him curiously.

"Marshall?"

**Bam! Cliffhanger! Yup, another one! Sorry if you hate me now. Anyway, the more reviews I get, the faster I shall update, so don't forget to review! Hope you enjoyed that chapter. **


	12. Changed

**Fionna & Marshall Lee POV**

"Fionna?" Marshall's voice was very soft and uncertain as he gazed down at her.

"Wh-What happened? I feel different," she frowned. She opened her mouth to reveal a new gleaming pair of fangs. Her tongue flicked to the long points, testing their sharpness, exploring every detail of her new weapons.

"I'm sorry, you were going to die," he tried to explain. Her brow furrowed as she raised her hands in front of her face and examined her skin. The creamy colour was gone, replaced by a soft gray that Marshall personally found to be gorgeous. Her hair had lightened drastically, though there were still many strands of honey blonde, and now her hair was nearly as silver as the moon.

"What the hell did you do to me?" She choked.

"I had no choice!"

"You-You changed me. Oh my Glob, you changed me," her voice was naught but a soft squeak by this point. He cringed. She jumped to her feet, her breathing labored as she tried to take in exactly what had just happened.

"I came to free you… Prince Gumball had been starving you so I let you drink my blood and then," her brow furrowed. Of course she wouldn't remember what happened next because she had passed out. Marshall wondered how bad it would hurt to die by her hands as he contemplated filling her in on the details. "What else happened," she demanded.

He sucked in a long breath, letting it out shakily. "You were going to die. I panicked, I didn't know what to do, so I changed you. If I had thought there was another way to save you I would have. I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you die, I just couldn't,"

She stared, only stared, her mouth unable to form any coherent thoughts, though many were running through her head. She was a vampire. Oh Glob she was a vampire now. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the concept. She was immortal? She would live forever and never grow older…

She would stay the same while all her friends grew older and died. Cake, Flame Princess, LSP, Lord Monocromicorn, and everyone else she had come to care about in Aaa. She would lose Cake most of all. Cake was not only her best friend, but also her sister. She had grown up with her practically from birth.

Without realizing it, Fionna had begun to cry.

"I'm sorry," Marshall murmured.

"Why do I hurt?" She muttered miserably. Marshall's eye's flashed with sympathy.

"You're thirsty,"

"Already?"

"Since you're new to this, you will need to feed more often. Your body is still kind of transitioning," he explained, feeling his own hunger still throbbing.

"I don't want to hurt anyone. How could you do this to me?" She demanded.

"I couldn't let you die, I already told you that,"

"Why not? Why couldn't you just let me die? I was trying to help you, I knew the risk, and you knew how I felt about the whole vampire thing. How could you do this to me?!" She screamed. She threw a punch at his jaw, landing a good hit. He winced but made no attempt to stop her. In a way, he knew he deserved every injury she would probably inflict. Her second punch was to his eye. If it weren't for the fact that he healed faster than a normal person, he would have been concerned about a black eye.

"I hate you! How could- Dammit I hate you! I… I…" But that was all she managed to choke out before the force behind her punches lessened to nothing but her fists desperately clinging to his dirt-ridden shirt. Her knees gave out and she fell to the ground, sobbing heavily.

At first Marshall did not know what to do. Fionna was strong, she had also been a warrior in his eyes, which meant he was not used to seeing this vulnerable side to her. Even on the verge of death she had been able to make witty quips and strong retorts to his comments. Now, however, she was broken.

"Fionna," he breathed softly, crouching down beside her, ignoring the pain of his thirst as it still dully burned through him. "Fionna I'm so sorry,"

"I-I can't watch everyone die. I can't hurt people," she managed to choke between cries.

He said nothing, only simply wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Her body shook under his, her palms pressed against his chest as her fingers clenched the fabric there. Finally her sobs drained away to small gasping hiccups.

"I… It burns," she moaned.

"Come on, we have to get you out of here, it's nighttime right?"

"I'm not an idiot, of course its nighttime," she snapped. He held up his hands defensively.

"Alright, okay, let's take care of your thirst, then mine, and then we'll figure out where to go from there okay?" He suggested softly. She nodded, the increasing pain making coherent thoughts rare. She knew that she wouldn't be able to think clearly until she took care of the eminent problem: Her thirst.

Marshall and Fionna, both weak, made their way out of the dungeon and into the crisp night air. A gust of wind greedily tugged at their clothes, but Fionna did not feel the cold she knew should have come with it. The chilly night air had no effect on her no longer human skin.

"Why can't I feel the wind?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"I don't know, I can't feel it either," he shrugged.

"Am I," she gulped, "Am I dead?"

"No, not dead, I think we are somewhere in between. Our hearts still beat, we can still bleed, we need nourishment, and we can die. We can heal faster, turn into bats, fly, live forever, and a unless a sword pierces our hearts, or our head is removed, we will not die. I don't really know what we are, but we aren't dead," Marshall explained with a small shake of his head. Her next words were so quiet that even his acute hearing could pick up on them. However, he thought he heard something like: "I wish I was."

**Just to clear up a bit of confusion, the way I have written this story is to stick to the Adventure Time setting, but not necessarily the feel of it. I kept the places, people, and things. However, the way they talk and such is going to be a bit different. I wanted them to seem a bit more real. **

**Also, yes, for the millionth time, some of the characters are not gender swapped. I did that because I wanted to. **

**Anyway, aside from those few things, thank you for reading this so far! The reviews are way too kind that I sometimes have a hard time believing you actually mean it. Please keep up with the reviewing, it makes me super happy to read them! Plus, keeps me motivated to stay with the story. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Violated

**Sorry about not updating. School and work take up so much of my time… Anyway, this chapter is a little darker than my others. I hope you like it. Please keep reviewing, your feedback is the reason I continue to write. I have the most amazing fans ever! Love you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Adventure Time!**

"No," Fionna shook her head stubbornly.

"Fionna, your body is still trying to transition, there is not enough red around to satisfy that sort of need. I promise you won't have to kill anyone and it's only for tonight. All new vampires have to drink blood their first time," Marshall Lee tried to explain. A flash of anger distorted her features and she jabbed an angry finger into his chest.

"I didn't choose this! But I sure as hell am going to choose what I do and do not eat! I'm not going to drink anyone's blood,"

"Fionna-"

"Just shut up,"

Marshall deflated. What was he supposed to do? He knew that what he had done was completely wrong, but he didn't regret it in the slightest. She was alive, breathing, and standing close to him, even if that was because she looked like she might hit him again.

Despite her anger, Fionna felt her energy continue to drain. The pain was worsening but she refused to allow it to show. She did not understand the burning sensations, and she hoped they would go away soon.

"What about that?" She finally sighed, pointed at a candy-cane street lamp. A long vein of red twisting it's way around the white frame.

"It will barely put a dent in your thirst," he scoffed.

"But it will help, even just a little?" She raised an eyebrow. He only shrugged, knowing that the only way she would understand would be to find out for herself.

"How do I do it?" She wondered, circling the post with a puzzled, yet hungry expression.

"There isn't an instruction manual to this Fionna," he rolled his eyes, "There isn't a 'how'. There is just do. Just put your mouth around it and your body will respond okay?" He softened his tone at the last part, noticing how snappy his tone had become.

She sighed softly, knowing how ridiculous she probably was going to look. Ah well, she was thirsty and that's all that mattered at the moment.

Marshall watched as her pink lips parted and were softly pressed again the lamp post. He remembered how those lips felt against his, and how much he wished he could feel them again. However, he recognized that she was upset and he knew it may be a long time before that relationship was ever again established.

Fionna almost immediately felt the cool peppermint sting her tongue, but then there was something else. Without warning, she felt her mouth being flooded with liquid. It did not have much flavor, besides the lingering tingle of the candy, but otherwise she tasted nothing. She swallowed, and waited.

There was something, something small. She imagined it was like throwing a bucket of water on a large forest fire. You saved one little part, you diminished those few tongues of flame, but there was much more to dowse.

Her disappointment was obvious and Marshall had to urge to say I told you so. Of course, he didn't.

"There's a lot of red around," he offered encouragingly instead. New tears glistened her eyes.

"It's really not going to help is it?" She asked in a small voice. He shook his head. "And blood… It will help more?"

"A lot more,"

"I… Alright fine. I will not kill anyone though," she warned.

"I would not expect anything different," a small smile twitched on his lips.

"Fine how do I-"

"Fionna?"

"Who was that?" Marshall wondered, noting that the voice sounded very far away.

"Shit, hide!" She hissed at Marshall. His brow furrowed until she mouthed the name "Gumball". With a swift nod he disappeared into the shadows. Fionna turned her attention towards the castle where she saw the Prince waving at her from the window, still calling her name.

"I didn't know you were here! Come on up!" He called down.

"I-uh, Can't! I need to get home!"

"I insist!"

"Yeah, so do I!" She laughed to herself dryly.

"Alright fine, I'll come down there to see you! Besides, I wanted to check on Marshall anyway!"

"No! I mean! I'll be up in a second!"

She cursed herself for agreeing, but she couldn't allow Gumball to see that Marshall was gone yet. Now the question was… How was she to make sure he didn't notice her recent transformation?

She pondered this as she made her way up into the tower, all the way to his bedroom. She gave a small knock, sucking in a sharp breath as the door began to open.

"Fionna, it's so nice to see you," Gumball smiled. She waited… Nothing.

"Hey," she said with an odd expression, careful to hide her fangs as she talked.

"Come in," he reached out a hand and ever so gently took her arm to lead her inside. For a moment she was unable to speak. When she had been unable to feel the wind, she had figured she would be cut off from most feeling.

Oh no, not even close.

It was as if every nerve was ready and itching for contact. The minute his skin met hers she was overwhelmed by an odd sense of pleasure. The feeling was pleasant and wonderful, but not in a provocative or even loving sort of way. It simply felt good.

"Is there something you needed?" She wondered.

"No, well, not exactly. I've just been thinking a lot," he gave a soft smile.

"About what?"

"You," he said without hesitation or a quiver in his voice. Fionna stared at him with bafflement. She couldn't tell what surprised her more: The fact that he had just been so blunt about her, or the fact that he seemed completely oblivious to her obvious transformation.

"Oh," was all she managed to say.

"I care about you Fionna, a lot. I've kept this from you for so long because I didn't know how to tell you, and I didn't want to lose you as a friend. But I can't hold it back anymore," he sat down on his bed, and pulled her next to him, his arm around her shoulder.

"Gumball I…" She stuttered.

"You look so beautiful tonight. Your hair is like moonlight," he murmured. Fionna moaned at the sound of his heart beating under his pink skin. She could smell the sweetness of his blood, but at the same time the smell churned her stomach. The mere thought of actually drinking his blood repulsed her and so she found herself leaning away.

"I sh-should get out of here," she stuttered breathlessly. He grip on her shoulder tightened. This surprised her as she continued to try to move away. "Gumball, please, I need to go,"

"It's okay Fionna,"he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. She shivered away from the contact.

"Please…" This time she tried to force him away but due to her thirst she was much too weak. He held her easily against him. Fear twisted in her stomach. What was he doing? What was he going to do?

"Fionna, I have cared for you for so long, and I know you feel the same," he took her chin and forced her to look at him. "I love you Fionna,"he leaned in close and kissed her.

Under normal circumstances she might have been excited, breathless, and completely pleased by the kiss she had so long yearned for. However, she once again felt her stomach twist. She tried to pull away but his free hand tangled itself in her hair and held her bubbled inside at his offensive actions and she tried to hit him.

"Get the hell off!" She managed to scream against his lips. Seeing this as his chance he plunged his tongue inside her mouth. She choked and gagged at the intrusion. Suddenly he stopped, his tongue resting against one of her fangs. He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes.

"You're a vampire," he stated blandly.

She sucked in a sharp breath before replying, "Yes,"

"You haven't fed and so you are weak,"

How could he know this?

"You can barely fight back," he added. She found herself confused by the nonchalant tone he was using. Did this really not surprise him?

"It was Marshall wasn't it? But he is locked up so he didn't overpower you. You let him didn't you?" His voice was dangerously quiet.

"No I…"

"You like Marshall,"

"No! I just…"

"Sh… No, I know you do. I saw the way you looked at him when I locked him up. I wanted to ignore it but I saw it. You care about him. You're his little whore aren't you?" Her eyes widened at his accusation.

"What? No!"

"Is it because he is dangerous? I can be dangerous too you know," with surprising force her threw her back onto this bed. She tried to let out a scream but before she was able to he grabbed a pillow and shoved it over her face. Fionna coughed and tried to suck in air through the fabric. Although it was candy she did not dare try to eat it for she feared she would choke. Instead she tried to focus on hitting him. If only she wasn't so weak….

"It's okay Fionna," she heard him say "I can still have you," She heard him open the drawer of his nightstand and pull a few items out. Nausea rolled over her as fear filled every cell of her body. She had a pretty good idea what he meant by that.

A scream escaped her lips and the pillow was removed and replaced with a gag. Not only could she not speak or scream properly, but now she could also not bite. She tried to thrash out, to hurt him, but he made easy work of roughly grabbing her wrists and tying them above her head and to the headboard of his bed. Each ankle was then bound in a similar fashion, leaving her open and exposed to him.

"Oh Fionna, you truly are the most beautiful girl in all of Aaa, it's a shame that you had to fall for a leech. I had rather hoped to marry you someday," Gumball shook his head with disappointment as he began to remove her clothes, tearing the fabric between his fingertips.

Tears rolled down Fionna cheeks as she wished for Marshall. She wished he would come save her.

Fionna had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She was completely naked and bound. Sobs wracked her body as she felt an incredible pain between her legs. Every attempt to scream came out as nothing but a pitiful cry. His hands were not gentle and had she still been human, her skin would have been littered by bruises.

The next hour was filled with pain and humiliation. When Gumball had finished with her he untied her bindings and gag and threw a robe over her shoulders. By this point she wasn't able to say anything. Her sobs had dissolved into small whimpers and her throat was raw from attempting to scream. Hot sticky blood clung to her thighs and her hair was in disarray around her head.

"You can go now. And I would think twice about telling anyone. Especially once I have a bounty on your head as well. No one will listen. You'll be just another parasite in need of extermination," he whispered sickeningly sweetly into her ear. She flinched away from him. "Now get out,"

Standing was difficult, not only because of the physical pain inflicted by the prince, but also because her burning thirst had worked its way into her arms and legs, making them difficult to use. However, she managed to make her way out of the room and to the stairs.

She passed several guards who stared at her. None offered her any help but simply looked on with sympathetic expressions. Some seemed shocked and disturbed by the young girl stumbling down the stairs, but once again, none assisted her. She guessed their lack of kindness was due to Gumball's orders.

When finally she was greeted by the night sky she was able to collapse to the ground, clutch the robe close to her body, and begin to cry softly to herself again.

When Marshall finally saw Fionna exit the castle he felt relief. This relief was short lived however as he watched her fall to the ground and start to cry. He also noticed that she was not wearing the clothes she had entered the castle. He rushed out from his hiding place in the shadows and to crouched beside her.

"Fionna, Fionna," he spoke softly, worry lacing his tone. He reached out to touch her shoulder but she flinched away.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled, her voice hoarse and cracking. She looked up at him and his heart plummeted to his feet. Her eyes were swollen and puffy from crying. The expression on her face was one of fear and disgust, something he had never seen before. His eyes ran over her body, discovering that she was completely naked besides the robe that she clutched tightly to her frame.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Take me home," she mumbled. He nodded, knowing that pushing her was not the way to help at the moment. He allowed her to wrap her arm around his shoulder and use him as support so she could stand. As her legs unfolded he noticed that there was a dark liquid trailing down her inner thighs. Realization hit him and anger boiled through his veins.

"I'm going to rip his throat out," he growled deeply.

"Please just take me home,"

"Fionna, he raped you didn't he? That bastard deserves to burn in the deepest depths of the Nightosphere. I'm going to kill him,"

"No just… Please Marshall," she begged. He pressed a delicate kiss to her forehead. She cringed slightly but did not move away from the contact. He would take care of her first, that was his priority, but when he was sure she was better, he would come for Gumball. He would make the prince beg for death and he would surely grant that wish.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Gumball would die.

**I know, a bit of a twist, but considering how I depicted Gumball earlier I figured it fit a little. Oh! And I've gotten a few comments about how the characters are using language, like cussing, that they would never use in the show. Well that's because I am obviously not writing the characters exactly how they are in the show. I wanted to make them a little more realistic. So anyway, please review!**


	14. Fionna Breaks

**So sorry it's been so long. I've just been so incredibly busy. I'll try to update more often I promise. Anyway, this chapter is more of a filler chapter. A lot of it will be main themes of the next chapter so I apologize if it is not satisfactory. **

The minute they walked into the door Cake practically attacked them.

"Where have you two been!?" She demanded. Her eyes widened at the sight of a disheveled and barely robed Fionna being carried by a flushed and deadly looking Marshall.

"What did you do to her? What the hell is going on?" She demanded.

"Not now," he hissed. For once, the obnoxious but loyal cat became submissive and simply watched with concern and he sat Fionna on the couch. "Cake, bring Steven. Now."

Without arguing she left the room and returned with the bulking human.

"Steven, sit next to Fionna, she is going to do something and you mustn't panic or move," Marshall tried to sound calm and patient but the coldness would not leave his tone.

"What is wrong with Fionna? Is Fionna okay?" He asked with wide eyed wonder.

"She will be fine if you do as I say,"

"I help, I do as you say,"

Steven obeyed as Marshall whispered for Fionna to drink. The pale girl only looked at him for a moment before slowly nodding. She turned to Steven.

"I'm sorry," she murmured before leaning forward and sinking her fangs into his flesh. She grimaced with each gulp, but he noticed that the tension within her muscles began to lessen and within her eyes was a little life again. When she finally finished she wiped her chin and turned to Marshall.

"What now?"

"What now? How about someone explains what the hell is goin'on here!" Cake demanded.

"I don't want to talk about it," Fionna averted her gaze downward.

"Well then why doesn't Marshall explain why she was suddenly drinking blood?" Her attention turned towards the Vampire King.

"Because she is vampire," he stated bluntly.

"WHAT?!"

"I'm pretty damn sure you aren't deaf," he grumbled, his attention still on Fionna.

"What did you do to her?"

"Cake please just shut up,"

"I will not!"

"Cake," this time it was Fionna. Her voice was soft and pleading and the cat immediately clamped her mouth shut. "I want to shower," she whispered to Marshall. He nodded and before anyone else could say anything, he scooped her off and carried her towards the bathroom. It was obvious that Cake wanted to protest, but the feline seemed to be too overwhelmed to even bother to make a sound against it.

"Marshall, I'm fine now," Fionna tried to tell him.

"No, you aren't,"

"I can walk and shower on my own," she argued. He looked down at her and saw that she did look much better. The pain that once distorted her face was gone, instead there was only sadness. She was not weak anymore, but he still worried.

"Alright, but I'm going to be outside the door, if you need anything just yell okay?" He sighed softly, carefully placing her on her feet. She gave him a smile that didn't meet her eyes before disappearing into the bathroom.

Fionna didn't hesitate to drop the robe and step into her shower. She turned the water as hot as it would go until the entire bathroom was foggy with steam. True enough, she could not feel the scalding heat of the hot water, but there was still warmth and comfort followed by some sharp pain between her legs. The dried blood stained the water red as it ran down her legs and pooled at her feet until finally washing down the drain. As she carefully scrubbed away as much of him as she could, she began to cry.

Fionna was used to men treating her as nothing but a pretty girl. Long ago she had accepted this as the downside to her career choice. Never, however, had she ever felt so violated and disgusting. She hated how she felt less like a person and more like an object. Would all men treat her this way? Was her appearance going to continuously pose a problem? She suddenly wished she was ugly. She welcomed the idea of an unsightly face, at least then people would treat her how she deserved.

She eyed the razor she often used to shave her legs. If only she was ugly….

Marshall had occupied himself with satisfying his slightly lingering thirst. In the end, he resorted to drinking the colour from his flannel. He hated to ruin one of his favorite shirts, but it was already caked in dirt… He would probably need the shower after Fionna.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp cry of pain. Alarm filled his veins and without bothering to warn her first, he burst into the bathroom. He ran over to the shower and pulled back to the curtain to find Fionna covered in blood.

His mouth went dry and he felt as though all the blood in his body had been drained. In her hand was a razor, and across her face was a deep slash.

"Fionna! What did you do?!" He screamed, tearing the razor from her fingertips and tossing it across the room. He pulled her out of the shower and grabbed a towel, quickly applying pressure to the wound. Under different circumstances, he would have taken a second to appreciate her naked form. However, his mind was far from that. At that moment he was horrified and concerned. He didn't fear that she was seriously hurt, she was a vampire and he knew she would heal in a matter of a minute or too. Rather, he feared her emotional and psychological pain. It was obvious that she was far from okay.

"I-I-Marshall… I can't take them treating me like this. I don't want someone else to do this to me too. I have to look gross, I have to look terrible…" She trailed off into sobs. He collapsed against the wall and pulled her into his lap, wrapping her in his arms and letting her cry….

Eventually Marshall managed to clean up the rest of the blood and put Fionna to bed. The sun was just beginning to peak up behind the mountains so he closed the curtains and curled up on the ground next to her and allowed himself to drift off into a restless sleep.

When he woke the sun was still setting and Fionna was still asleep. He stared down at her peaceful form and felt a sense of relief. It was over, he had her safe with him, and he didn't plan on leaving her anytime soon. His eyes drank in the sight of her pale face, seeing that there was no trace of the self-inflicted wound from the night before. She was perfection to him, but he understood that it was her appearance that had put her in the situation she was in. Well, it didn't matter, he was going to kill Gumball and there was nothing else to it.

Being careful to make minimal noise, he slipped downstairs to find Cake and Steven sitting on the couch, both still looking as concerned and confused as earlier.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" Cake asked, sounding more tired than angry.

Marshall took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his newly clean hair, he had showered shortly after making sure Fionna was safe in her bed.

"She came to free me and things got complicated,"

"Complicated? Boy, you better start explaining or I'm going to claw off your face, got it?"

"Gumball was starving me, so by the time Fionna got there I was extremely close to death and beyond bloodlust. I told her to stay away but she wouldn't listen and I drank from her, only I nearly killed her. I didn't see any other options so I changed her. Afterwards, she went up to see Gumball, to keep him from checking on me and seeing that I was gone, and while she was up there he…" he trailed off, gritting his teeth at the memory of seeing Fionna practically naked, her legs caked in blood, and the tears pouring from her eyes.

"He what? Marshall, what did Gumball do?"

"He raped her," he answered in a low voice. Cake's eyes widened.

"He what?"

"Once I know Fionna is okay, I'm going to kill him. Don't try to stop me, you can punish me afterwards if you want, but don't get in my way. I'm going to kill that bastard," he growled.

"Stop you? Oh no, no, I'm not going to stop you, Marshall, I'm coming with you," the way the words slithered from Cake's tongue reminded Marshall off a snake, dripping with venom. The expression on that cat's face was murderous, filled with anger and ferocity. Her voice had dropped a few octaves and she seemed to growl with each word.

"Marshall, he hurt my best friend, he humiliated her, and he took from her something incredibly valuable. I will not rest until that bastard has paid,"

"Steven help too," the large hulking human added in. He didn't seem to have much of an idea of what was going on, but one thing was clear in his mind. He knew someone had hurt his friend and he wanted to help.

"No Steven," Marshall made his voice soft, "you have to stay here and watch Fionna. You have to make sure she is okay,"

"But I want to help…"

"You are helping. We can't leave her alone. She trusts you and cares about you, please stay with her," Marshall urged. Steven looked unsure, but finally nodded. Marshall flickered his attention back to Cake.

"I'm leaving tonight," she said.

"We can't, I can't leave Fionna yet. She isn't right yet she tried… She tried to cut up her face with a razor last night,"

"Then you stay here, but I will not sit around while that monster lives comfortably in that castle of his,"

"I want to do it, Cake, I want to be the one to kill him,"

"Then let's go,"

"Fine," Marshall sighed. He wandered over to the corner of the room where his axe base leaned against one wall. He hadn't touched it really at all since he had been at the tree house. He had been… Distracted. His fingers closed around the smooth red wood and immediately he was comforted. The instrument had been his companion for many years, filling up the lonely silences, making him happy when nothing else could. Well, it was going to make him happy again. Yes, he would be very happy once the blade of the axe was buried deep into Gumball's flesh.

**Alright, since that wasn't nearly as good or interesting as it could have been, I promise to update quicker. Thank you for your kind reviews, please continue to write them ;) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Deserved Punishment

Marshall and Cake approached the castle quietly. The full moon brightened every inch of the candy walls and glowed right into Gumball's window. Marshall almost wished that the prince would look outside, that he would see them and call an alarm. He wanted to fight through the guards and strike fear into Gumball's heart as he brought each and every one of them to the ground. He wouldn't kill them, the guards, but he would hurt them. And when he finally reached Gumball's room, he planned to kill him as slowly and painfully as he knew how.

However, Cake would not allow it. She wanted to get in and get out. That's not to say she didn't want the prince to suffer, because she did, but she didn't feel like fighting off a hoard of guards, not with her best friend practically in ruins at home.

They slipped into the castle stealthily, taking careful time to not be seen. It wasn't too hard considering Cake's ability to shrink and Marshall's long time love of the shadows, and before they knew it, they were standing outside of Gumball's room. Cake grew back to her normal size, her eyes wild and her claws out and ready. She gave a short, curt nod and Marshall nodded back, yanking open the door….

Fionna groaned as she stirred from her sleep. At first, she didn't know where she was. She wasn't used to waking up at night, but she supposed she would have to get used to it. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and that's when she noticed a dark figure in the room.

"Steven?" She called. There was no reply. This unsettled her…

"Where the hell is he?" Marshall demanded, not even bothering to be quiet anymore. They both surveyed the room carefully.

"Maybe he is somewhere else in the castle," Cake said with doubt.

"It's almost eleven, the little bastard doesn't stay up very late. Besides, we didn't see him anywhere else. He isn't here," he growled.

"Come on, we'll get him tomorrow night or something. Right now, I'm not comfortable with Fionna being alone. Even with Steven and Beemo there, it just doesn't feel right,"

"Alright," Marshall slumped in defeat.

"Fionna, you're not looking so good," a cold voice finally replied. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound of Gumball's voice, and her instinct was to cower away. "Oh hush…. I came to visit you," he said sweetly, approaching the bed.

"Get the hell away from me," she hissed.

"Why would I want to do that? I had so much fun last night," he smirked. Revulsion rose bile in her stomach.

"I've fed, I can fight you off," she warned, she didn't feel like adding that she was actually thirsty again, but he didn't need to know that.

"Can you?"

"Yes," her uncertainty was obvious. How could he have this affect over her?

"Shall I test that?"

"I'll scream and Steven will hear,"

"I'm rather doubtful of that. I must say, I was a little surprised to see him here, but the oaf trusted me and he is now sleeping peacefully. He might have a headache later on. The little video game is pretty tied up at the moment so I don't think he will be a problem either,"

"Why are you here? You already…" She gulped at the memory.

"Oh Fionna, there is no one in Aaa quite like you. You're so beautiful,"

"Shut up!" She yelled. Her stomach heaved at the remembrance of her previous attraction towards him. How could she have ever felt anything for him? "Why are you here?" She demanded again.

"I couldn't stay away. Last night, well, it was perfect Fionna. I want that again,"

"You're sick,"

"No, I just know what I want," he shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets like a normal eighteen-year-old boy. It was weird how casual he looked, how relaxed. It was… Unsettling.

"You…" She struggled for a strong enough word and was at a loss. There was no word known to any living creature that would be able to describe the hatred she felt towards the boy in front of her. Instead she bared her fangs and a low grown built in her throat.

"It's sad…" he continued, "That you fell for that thing,"

"Don't talk about Marshall, don't think about him, if you ever lay a finger on him I will rip out your throat," she threatened.

"I could have made you a princess, but now you are lower than vermin,"

"I'd rather be vermin,"

"Fionna, please, let me have you. I will have you, either way, but it would be so much better for you and me if you said yes," he took a step towards her. He sat on the edge of her bed and she instinctively flinched away. His lips twitched into a smile.

"No," she shook her head.

"No?" He quirked an eyebrow. "That's not true is it? You want me as much as I want you. That parasite may hold your attractions, but I know how you feel about me, Fionna, you can't hide," before she could react he moved, crawling over her, his hands positioned on either side of her head.

Fionna knew she could throw him off, kill him, she could fight! But she froze. As if to remind her of what he did, she felt an unpleasant sting between her legs. She was ashamed of the fact that deep down, she was terrified of him.

"Shh…" he reached into his pocket and withdrew a strip of cloth… A gag no doubt. She shuddered, unable to make her limbs move.

"Don't," it was meant to sound like a threat but came out as a plea.

"You're even more beautiful when you are scared,"

"Step away from her," someone ordered from the doorway. Gumball actually jumped, quickly scurrying off the bed to face whoever had interrupted.

"Ice King?" Gumball asked, confused.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ice King demanded. The usually very casual, almost silly, king looked extremely serious and dangerous. His eyes had narrowed into a glare and they were shooting daggers at the prince. Fionna suddenly felt safe.

"This is none of your concern," Gumball grumbled.

"Oh, but it is now," as he said this, the room became cold.

"Get out of here old man, as the Prince of…"

"Prince? I'm a king, boy. As a prince, I expected more out of you. You're supposed to be a gentleman and a protector of your people. You are obviously neither and are not worthy of your title," his ice blue eyes briefly flickered to Fionna and suddenly his entire demeanor softened and a puzzled expression covered his face.

"You look… Different," he noted.

"That parasite, Marshall, turned her into a vampire," Gumball grumbled. At the mention of Marshall's name the Ice King perked up and a flame seemed to have been lit behind his eyes.

"Marshall…"He said the name slowly, carefully, as if tasting it, "Yes, I know that name,"

"You should know that name. That asshole has been killing my people! And he stole her," he pointed an accusing finger at Fionna and she had the urge to bite it off.

"I was never yours," she whispered.

"You would have been, if he hadn't come along, you would have. I saw it in your eyes,"

"Well I'm glad he came along," she spat, "Because the thought of allowing you anywhere near me makes me sick,"

"I think she wants you to leave," Ice King glared at Gumball again.

"I don't care what she wants,"

Fionna admittedly was surprised by Gumball. She figured he would want to keep up an appearance, to get out before he said anything stupid, but instead he was fighting. He was putting his throne at risk, and his life.

"I care what she wants, and I care what Marshall wants, get out,"

"You know what? I have been waiting for her since I was thirteen. I've been trying for years and she has left me with nothing. Well I'm sick of waiting, I'm sick of her being disrespectful. Now she is Marshall's bitch and I don't like it when others take my things!" Gumball yelled with exasperation. Baring his teeth, he withdrew a pocketknife from his pocket and flipped it open. Moving surprisingly fast, he grabbed Fionna's hair and tugged her out of bed. She let out a yelp as she hit the floor. Before she had a chance to attack back, he had the knife at her throat, the blade slowly slicing into her neck. She felt no pain but could feel hot blood running down her throat.

"Let her go," The Ice King ordered. The knife ceased to go any deeper.

"Get out or I will kill her,"

"Let her go, this is your last chance,"

"Get out!"

"Fine," he sighed. The older man clenched his hand into a fist and slowly, began to open it. At first, Fionna didn't understand, but then she heard a gasp behind her. She couldn't turn to see, but she felt the prince's grip on her hair lessen, and then on the knife until finally it clattered to the ground in front of her. She snatched it up and scrambled away from him, turning to see a curious sight.

Gumball was doubled over in pain, his hands both clasping his chest as he choked for air. His eyes looked as though they might pop out of his skull at any moment. Fionna was not entirely sure what was happening, but every time the Ice King opened his palm little by little, Gumball's pain seemed to grow.

Suddenly there was a sickening ripping sound. Red liquid began to seep down Gumball's white shirt. Fionna held her breath, the smell sending a burst of pain into her stomach. Gumball let out a hoarse cough and drops of blood flew from his lips and plopped onto the floors below. He let out a pained scream followed by another shower of blood from his mouth. Finally, Ice King opened his palm all the way and next thing she knew, large sharp spikes of ice came shooting from inside the princes body. They were stained with his blood and protruded from every angle, originating from his heart. He let out one more cough before collapsing to the ground.

"You-You killed him," she squeaked.

"I made his heart as cold as it really was," The Ice King said darkly. She eyed him with bewilderment. What happened to him? What happened to the crazy wizard she had known. She went to say something but upon an inhale she was hit with another wave of pain. Fionna clenched her jaw and tried to control her breathing.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern filling his voice. The dark threatening tone was gone and replaced with the voice of a friendly old man.

"I'm thirsty," she tried to explain. The ice king closed his palm and when he opened it, a sharp shard of ice sat in it. He used it to make a shallow cut on his his. Hot red blood flowed over his pale skin and he held it out to her.

"No I can't," she shook her head.

"Fionna, just take some," he rolled his eyes, pushing his hand in front of her face. The smell of his blood filled her senses and she had no choice but to give in. She took his hand, finding that it surprisingly lacked wrinkles, and pressed her lips to his palm. She sucked greedily and enjoyed the way each mouthful seemed to bring her intense levels of relief. Finally she had had her fill and she pulled away, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be, where is Marshall?" He asked. She blinked, clueless.

"I don't know, but I don't think he'll be happy to see that you've killed Gumball…"

"Why not?"

"He wanted to do it,"

"He'll live," a smile crinkled his eyes. "Come on," he lead her out of the room. Just as the two of them entered the living room, Cake and Marshall arrived. Both seemed surprised to see the older wizard, especially Marshall. He froze in place, his eyes widening and his mouth formed a hard line. The Ice King also froze, staring at the vampire.

"Fionna! You're okay?" Cake asked, running to her friend, completely oblivious to the sudden change in air.

"I'm fine," she sighed, offering her friend a reassuring smile, though admittedly, she was still in shock. She couldn't believe that Gumball was lying dead on her bedroom floor…

"Marshall, that's your name," Ice King finally said, an odd expression on his face.

"Yes…" Marshall looked hurt.

"I know you, I came to see you, I think. I don't know why, but I felt like it was important,"

"You don't remember," Marshall sighed, running his fingers through his messy black hair, his eyes falling downward, "You should go,"

"Marshall, what are you talking about?" Fionna wondered.

"It doesn't matter,"

"No, I know your name, Gunter told me I should see you," Ice King explained.

"Gunter?"

"My penguin,"

"Right," the vampire chuckled dryly.

"Who are you?" The older man asked.

"You really don't remember?" Marshall asked. When he shook his head in reply, Fionna thought Marshall might cry. "Simon…"

"What did you call me?" Ice king asked with a furrowed brow.

"Simon, that's your name. You've forgotten that too?"

"Simon…" He rolled the name around in his mouth, the familiarity apparent on his face.

"Yes, Simon, that was your name before you went insane, before you forgot. Please, can we talk about this later?" Marshall pleaded, obviously upset.

"Yes, yes that would be best. At least until we've cleaned up the body…"

"Body?" Alarm lit the vampire's tone.

"Cake, please wait here with the Ice King," Fionna said calmly, though inside she was starting to feel sick again. Gumball was dead, true, but he still evoked terrible feelings within her. She took his hand and tugged him back into the bedroom.

Marshall's body went rigid as his dark eyes fell on the lifeless body of the prince. She felt his grip on her hand tighten and she squeezed back to keep him steady. She dared a peek at his face and found a mixture or relief, anger, and confusion cover his face.

"What happened?" He demanded with no emotion.

Inhaling deeply she began:

"Gumball came back for me. He wanted me to… He wanted…" she gulped, "Anyway, the Ice King walked in and he tried to make him leave. He wouldn't and he pulled a knife on me so the Ice King…" she trailed off, gesturing towards the corpse.

"That bastard came back. I should have been here," he hissed in a low voice.

"It's fine now, he won't be bugging us anymore,"

"You don't get it, I wanted to kill him. I needed to kill him. I've hated him forever and after what he did… I should have been here to kill him,"

"Look, it doesn't matter, can we please just get rid of him? He's dead, that's all that matters right now, okay?" His grip lessened, but his features remained stone and cold.

He and Fionna went to work on moving Gumball's lifeless body. They didn't want to carry it through the living room, figuring that Steven would be conscious again and he and Beemo did not need to see it. Instead, they opened the window.

Marshall took him outside and slowly floated him to the ground. Fionna stayed inside, not confident in her ability to levitate yet. As she was left in dark silence, she felt something heavy on her chest, a sadness. She couldn't explain it, she couldn't understand, why did she suddenly feel like crying? Gumball was gone, she had Marshall, and though she was a vampire, that fact was far from her mind.

In the end, she concluded it to the crumbling of her life. One minute she was an adventurer with a simple life. Two weeks ago she had not even thought of Marshall yet. Instead she had been thinking of Gumball and how much she cared for him. Things had been easy. She had been happy.

Now she was in ruins. Her prince had turned out to be the evil one. She had fallen for her target and lost her humanity. To top it all off, she had had her innocence stolen from her. What more could possibly happen?

Marshall felt numb. Sure, he was pissed that he had not been able to torture the prince, but that was far from his mind at that moment. Instead, his thoughts were on the elderly wizard below. Alright, so elderly was hardly the proper word. Though he was adorned with a full white beard and a head of white hair, he was far from actually old. In age, technically yes, he was nearly as old as Marshall, but like Marshall, he technically did not age. The magic from his crown froze him somewhere in his mid-thirties. No one knew that of course, no one but Marshall.

There was so much to say, but at that moment, he was not sure he could handle it.

**I don't know why I ended it here… Anyway, yes I am bringing in the Ice King, and the next chapter is going to mostly be about him and Marshall, then I'll get back to Fionna and Marshall. **

**I apologize for the inadequacy of this chapter. I rewrote it 7 times before giving up. I had the worst writer's block imaginable and I honestly still am not pleased with it. So I'm sorry if you don't like this one, I understand. The next one will be better I promise. **

**Thank you for reading anyway! Please review!**


	16. Memories

**Sorry! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever! Thank you though, for sticking around anyway! Anyway, here is the next chapter!**

The next few hours were tired ones. Fionna and the Ice King proceeded to explain to Cake, Steven, and Beemo, the basics of what had happened. Fionna omitted a few parts, mostly Gumball's attempt to take advantage of her. Steven obviously did not fully understand what they were saying, but caught enough to understand that the person who had caused his friend pain was now gone. Beemo listened with an unreadable expression. When they were finally done, the whole room was silent.

Cake finally let out a soft sigh and took Fionna by the arm, leading her outside.

"We are gonna take a walk," Cake informed them before disappearing. The Ice King watched them leave, wondering where Marshall was. As if on cue, he came through the door looking tired and disheveled. His black hair was in a messy disarray around his pale face. The vampire rested his weary eyes on Simon and immediately turned away.

"Marshall…"

"I can't deal with this right now. I can't deal with anything right now," Marshall cut Simon off.

"But… I don't even know what 'this' is," he pointed out.

"That's the point though, you can't remember! That… It's painful okay?"

Beemo sensed that this was a conversation that would be best carried out in private. He ushered Steven out of the room and they ended up in the attic. Once alone Marshall collapsed onto the couch and let out a long breath.

"Can you remember anything? Before the crown I mean," Marshall asked.

"What?"

"Before you put on that crown you used to be a normal person, your name was Simon,"

"Simon… That name does sound familiar,"

"It was _your _name. Hell, you don't remember anything do you? You don't remember the war… Or me…" Marshall's eyes fell to the ground. The Ice King felt guilty for causing the boy before him pain. He just couldn't remember! Why couldn't he remember? He had mentioned something about the crown…

"What happened to me?" He asked in a hushed voice. Gray eyes met ice blue and the two locked their gazes for a moment.

Finally, Marshall answered, "Your name is Simon, or it was anyway. I didn't know you that far back so I don't know how you found it or why you put it on, but it changed you. Then, the war started…"

"The Mushroom War," Simon piped up. Marshall nodded.

"Yes. The war basically left Aaa in ruin. I was just a kid then. My mother never really had time for me so I was left alone for a while, but then you came around and… Simon you were practically a father to me. How could you not remember me? You used to take me with you everywhere…" his voice wavered and he felt tears trying push through. However, Simon looked as lost as ever. His brow was deeply furrowed as he tried to remember, but not even blurry images came to aid his recollections. He had no clue what the boy was talking about, and Marshall knew it.

"This isn't going to work, my words will do nothing. I have to show you,"

Marshall Lee didn't usually use magic, but he figured this was a moment in which it would be appropriate. Ashley, a girlfriend from long ago, has often carried around a small bag of sleeping dust. She had used it on Marshall in attempt to erase him memory of his break up but it had backfired and he ended up with the dust. He didn't know why, perhaps it was because he wanted to remember why he had left her, but he always kept it with him.

He withdrew a small black velvet bag from his back pocket.

"Come on, sit," he gestured. Simon sat beside him and eyed the glittering powder within the bag. Without another word, Marshall took a pinch and sprinkled it over the Ice King, then on himself. It was only a matter of seconds before his eyes became heavy and a deep sleep began to overtake him.

Simon blinked his eyes a few times in wonder. Where was he? He glanced around and suddenly recognized it as Fionna and Cake's tree house. However, neither adventurer could be seen. In fact, it looked as though they had never been there. The room was practically empty. Outside, rain pounded against the healthy young branches and the dark clouds blanketed the sky.

He turned slowly, taking in his surrounding, when he suddenly noticed that he was actually not alone. Sitting in a corner with a sharp rock was a little boy with gray skin and a mop of black hair sitting upon his head. He was carving a letter M into the wood. M… M for Marshall? Was this small child Marshall?

"Simon," a quiet voice called to him. He turned to see the more current Marshall gesturing for him to follow him. Throwing one last look at the small boy he knew he should remember, he followed the teenage vampire into a hallway.

"Where am I?" Simon wondered.

"In my memories. You wanted to know about your past, I'll show you," he lead the way down the hall which seemed to stretch on forever. Door after door appeared. _These must be his memories. _Simon realized. Part of him was excited. He would know his past, yes. However, part of him was worried. What if these memories meant nothing to him? What if, instead of helping him remember, they ended up being just like pictures or a movie? He would be disconnected and undoubtedly this would only hurt Marshall more. Finally, after what seemed like a mile of walking, they reached the end of the hallway. There was a large gray door with a shiny silver lock in the middle. No doorknob, just the lock.

"Things I want to forget, things I want to remember, and things that I simply have to keep locked away," he said this softly and more to himself than to the older man beside him. He removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the door carefully, almost reluctantly. It swung open to reveal the land of Aaa.

It was in ruin.

Smoke rose in billows towards the dark sky. The ground was littered with fallen trees, broken machinery, craters, and bodies. Some of the bodies were bloodied messes; some were simply unmoving but otherwise seemed unscathed. There did not seem to be a living being anywhere.

"What is this?" Simon asked.

"This is what everything looked like during the war," Marshall answered. He kicked a piece of rubble and gave the Ice King a hopeful look. He searched the wizard's face for any sign of recognition, but he was greeted with disappointment. With a small shake of the head he weaved in and out of the debris, his eyes scanning for a memory he treasured and hated all at the same time. He treasured it because of the happiness it brought, but hated it because it also brought pain.

After a short while Marshall found what he was looking for. Sitting on a fallen tree was a little crying Marshall Lee. The small boy paid no mind to the two new occupants of his space, but instead was busy wiping tears from his eyes.

Little Marshall Lee was utterly alone. With an uncaring mother and a no longer living father, he had no one to accompany him through the destroyed world. However, coming up the path was a man who would change all of that.

"Hey, hey there. Why are you crying?" The man, Simon, knelt beside the boy, concern twisting his features. At this time, the Ice King was nothing but a thirty-year old man with long white hair and the stubble of a beginning beard on his chin.

"I'm all alone," he answered in a pitiful voice.

"Where are your parents?"

Little Marshall met his eyes with Simon's pale blue ones and did not answer. Even with no words Simon was able to understand that no parents were in picture. Sympathy pooled through him and he had an inexplicable need to comfort him.

"Come on, you shouldn't be out here on your own, I'll take care of you," he offered, holding out a hand. With a certain amount of uncertainty, the child took his hand and a small smile upturned his lips. Suddenly, the two of them faded away.

"That… That was me," The real Ice King mumbled.

"Come on," Marshall continued down the path until they reached another memory. Simon was carrying little Marshall who had a wide grin plastered to his tiny face. The man, on the other hand, did not look so happy. His beard has significantly grown as did the length of his hair. He looked tired, unhappy, but somehow content with the boy in his arms.

"What's wrong?" Marshall Lee asked.

"Nothing," he forced a smile. The two continued through the mess around them when suddenly Simon paused. A genuine smile lit up his face as he set down the boy and dug through a pile of rubble. When he emerged he was holding a bright red stuffed toy. It looked practically new. At the time, the young vampire did not think of the previous owner, and as the years went on, he tried not to imagine what the child must have looked like.

"Mine?" The curious little boy gazed up at his new friend with wonder.

"Yours," Simon nodded kindly. The boy embraced the toy as if it were a long lost friend. With the young one's attention averted, Simon allowed his smile to falter. He ran his finger through his snow white hair and a worried looked crossed his face. His eyes flickered to the crown that was tied securely to his belt. Just as they had before, the pair started to fade again.

"One more," Marshall told him, "The last memory I had of you as a child,"

This one was different, much different. Simon was practically gone, lost in a sea of white hair and insanity. He ran his blue fingers through his hair and let out a cry of angst, collapsing to his knees.

"Stop, oh Glob please stop, let me go!" He began to sob. Marshall, who was a bit older than he had been in the previous memories, approached cautiously.

"What's wrong, Simon?" He asked quietly, the red toy clutched tightly to his chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,"

"For what? You didn't do anything," the boy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I have to leave," he announced.

"Leave?" His eyes widened, "No! You can't leave me!" He ran to the older man and grabbed his arm.

"I-I'm sorry,"

"Why are you leaving?"

"Because of this thing," he held up the shining gold crown, the one that would change him forever. With a roar he threw it as hard as he could. "Why did I have to put that stupid thing on? First… First I lost…. Dammit what was her name? I can't remember her name! And now… Now you. I'm sorry Marshall," he cried. The child has tears of his own pooling in his eyes.

"You can't leave me, I don't have anyone. Please," he begged.

"I'm losing my mind, I don't know what I will say or do. I've already hurt her, I can't hurt you too. Marshall, I'm going to stop this all, I'm going to fix this. When I do, I'll come back and be your friend again, okay? I won't be gone forever," he picked him up and embraced him tightly.

"Please don't leave me daddy, please,"

"I love you,"

"I love you too," Marshall cried softly into his shoulder.

The Ice King watched the scene and slowly but surely… He started to remember. He remembered when they met, how sorry he felt for the lonely child. He remember traveling around with Marshall riding on his shoulder, singing and laughing together. He remembered when the crown began to poison his thoughts. He had yelled at Marshall once, yelled and laughed at him. He had felt so terrible, but the boy had forgiven him. How could he have forgiven him?

He remembered how much he loved him as if he was his own son. When he had left, the pain had been beyond unbearable. He saw him every day yet sometimes would forget his name, or how old he was, little things but they were signs nonetheless. They were signs that the crown was doing it again. Soon, he would forget altogether. When he turned to face Marshall Lee, the vampire had tears in his eyes.

"Marshall I…"

"Let's go," he shook his head, cutting him off.

** Thank you for reading! There will probably only be a few more chapters, not sure yet. I know what I want to do I just don't know how many more chapters it will take to do it. I'm thinking of doing a spin-off for the Ice King afterwards. I really like his character and I want to develop him more. What do you guys think? Would you read it? Please tell me in the reviews or message me! Thanks for being awesome fans and sticking with me! **


	17. Hana Abadeer

**I'm being lazy, and I didn't edit this at all. I'm sorry if there are tons of errors, but editing takes a long time for me and I just don't have the time anymore. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway! **

Despite everything, Fionna just wanted to things to go back to relative normality. When she and Cake returned home she found Marshall and Ice King sitting up and rubbing their eyes. It looked as though they had been sleeping.

"What's going on?" She wondered. Marshall met his eyes with hers and she found tears there.

Alarm and concern sent Fionna running to his side, her eyes searching his for the source of his tears.

"Really, I'm okay," he offered a small smile. She relaxed slightly, but still sensed his deceit.

"I'm so sorry Marshall," Simon suddenly cried out, tears wetting his own cheeks. "I didn't want to forget and I truly tried to find a way to stop all of this. I lost myself. I'm sorry I left you alone; I never should have done that. Please forgive me,"

Fionna stared with surprise and confusion.

"Someone explain, now," she demanded. Marshall eyed her wearily and dropped his gaze to his hands.

"It's a long story," he finally sighed.

"I've got plenty of time,"

"Come on, "he took her hand and lead her out of the tree house. The two night dwellers ended up on the roof, the moon bathing them in its silver glow. Marshall proceeded to open up his past. He spared none of his feelings and poured out everything. It had been a long time since he had had the chance to tell anyone about his past. When he finally finished he found that he had begun to cry again. Fionna pulled him close into a sideways hugs, resting his head on her shoulder.

We'll help him, "she finally said once his tears had subsided.

"What?" He raised his head to look at her.

"With his memory, we'll help him. I don't know how, but we'll try," she smiled. Instead of returned her smile, he leaned in and kissed her. There was no fire, no passion, but it was sweet nonetheless. His hand cupped her cheek and gently caressed her skin with his thumb

"Thank you," he breathed when they finally pulled apart, his palm still pressed against her cheek.

"This is ridiculous she laughed without humor. His brow furrowed slightly.

"What's is?"

"This," she gestured to herself and them to him, "I mean, we've known each other for like two weeks," she pointed out.

"Yes, true, but so what? I like you, you like me, why does anything else matter?"

"So much shit has happened," she shook her head. What had been only a little over two weeks had felt like two months. She hoped she would eventually forget most of it, but was doubtful.

"Shit happens. Look Fionna, I've never really had feelings for someone, especially not like this, so don't over think this and make it too complicated, okay?"

Shouldn't help but smile and let out a soft sigh.

Alright fine,"

"Thank you," he pressed his lips to her cheek tenderly and then turned his gaze back to the moon. "I might know someone who can help us. Someone who had had a lot of experience with insanity and darker forms of magic especially curses," he mumbled quietly.

"Who?"

"My mother,"

I thought you weren't on speaking terms," Fionna frowned. He laughed dryly.

"We aren't.

"Then how…"

"She is still my mother and she wants me to return anyway. I'm the one who doesn't want to,"

"I don't understand, what happened?"

"She killed my only friend as a child," he said almost too casually.

Fionna sat, stunned, her brain trying to process what he had just said.

"She…"she gulped, "Killed your friend?"

"Ate him actually,"

"Why? What… I still don't understand,"

"When I was only about ten years old, I had this friend, his name was Fred. I called him Fries on account of the fact that a misstep in the fire kingdom had left him with a fried brain. He was a little off, completely stupid, but fun nonetheless. As a kid, well, he was the perfect best friend.

"To make a very long story short, she didn't approve of a prince hanging out with a handicapped peasant. She told me to leave him, and I wouldn't, so she simply ate him. I ran away after that," Marshall told the story with little emotion. To some, it might seem as though he did this to keep his sadness hidden, but Fionna saw that there was true detachment in those gray eyes. He would have been too young to have carried that sort of trauma all the way through another thousand years.

"You haven't forgiven her?"

"It's not that, but she is controlling and if I get back into her life, I can only imagine what else she would do. I want to live my life. After I left her and found Simon, well he became my father and so I did not need her. I still don't need her, but as the Queen of the Nitosphere she may be able to help. You will have to stay here of course.."

"What?" She demanded.

"I can't bring you with me,"

"Why the hell not?"

"She ate Fries because he was my friend. If she found out about us…"He trailed off. She didn't need him to finish to know what he meant.

"But I'm," she gestured towards herself, specifically her skin and fangs.

"You aren't a born vampire; she will still deem you unworthy,"

"Well I don't care, I coming. I have to make sure you both make it back. I owe you both my life," she said stubbornly.

"Fionna, don't be difficult,"

"Get used to it," she snorted, crossing her arms.

"And if she tries to kill you?" He raised his brow.

"I can take care of myself. Besides, I have you and Simon,"

"Jeez Fionna,"he ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine, but no one else, it's too dangerous already,"

"Great! When do we leave?"

"We can't just walk there, we have to open a portal," he rolled his eyes.

"Right because I would know that," she retorted.

"Anyway, I can open the portal, but no one can be in the room when I do it. It's a secret ritual that only my mother and I know," he explained. She shrugged. It made sense. If word got out how to go in and out of the Nightosphere willingly, there would be many problems in both worlds.

"Alright. Shall we go?"

"Anxious much?" He gave her a crooked smile.

"I just want to get it all over with," she admitted. "Just to get it out of the way and honestly, I feel like if I wait, I'll decide not to go. Your mom, well she already sort of scares me,"

"Oh?" He smirked, "The brave fearless Fionna is afraid of my dear old mother?" He teased. She gave his arm a playful punch.

"Shut up,"

"I apologize milady," he bowed his head with exaggerated respect. This was the Marshall she had first met, and she was glad to see him back to relative normality. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before helping her to her feet.

Once back inside the tree house, the explained their plan to a rather calm Simon.

"Do you think she will want to? I don't doubt she can, but she will she do it?" He wondered.

"We'll cross that bridge later," Marshall shrugged the concern away. "I'll call you both in when I finish," and with that he disappeared.

Marshall entered the room with a hammering heart. He hadn't seen his mother in forever and he wasn't sure what would happen when they reunited. He tried not to think about this as he went to work drawing a large circle on the wall with a piece of burnt wood from their fire place. Within the circle he drew intricate symbols, each having a meaning he never truly bothered to learn.

Next came the part he hated. When he said that no one else was allowed to know the ritual, it had nothing to do with the fact that others could go in and out as they pleased. Well, that played a small role. No, it had more to do with the fact that the only way into the Nightosphere was to spill the blood of an Abadeer. If anyone else knew and they had a wish to, for instance, release the demons within the hellish place to wreak havoc on Aaa, well they would have to get his blood and odds are they wouldn't take just a little.

He bit down on his finger, dark beads of blood pooling at dripping onto the floor below. He pressed his finger against the center of the drawn circle, and waited. It only took seconds for the wall to begin to fade. It was like it was melting away. Marshall immediately felt the heat and heard the screams. Oh yes, he was home.

He called for Fionna and Marshall. His finger had healed, leaving no traces of what he had done. They both stared at the portal with uncertainty.

"It's safe. Nothing in there will hurt you, except maybe my mom but I'll try to take care of that," he reassured them. He gestured for them to follow as he stepped through the portal. It was a strange sensation, leaving one world and entering another. It would be the equivalent of walking from, say, Antarctica to Brazil in a matter of seconds. It took a minute for him to adjust to the heat and dry air, but eventually it all began to feel familiar.

"Come on,"

Fionna stared with wide eyes. She had not imaged the Nightosphere to look the way it did. Everywhere there seemed to be some type of demon. They were normally small, red, and took on many shapes. Some appeared like animals, others like disfigured elves. Snake-like tongues flickered in and out of their lips and their beady black eyes found the three strangers and locked on.

The landscape was dry red rock and red sand. The sky was polluted with ash and smoke, causing whatever light there was to be orange and crimson. The air bit at her skin. As a vampire, she found no pain in the heat she was feeling, but it was still an overwhelming temperature. She threw a concerned glance at Simon, but found that he had found his own way of adjusting.

The Ice King had created an umbrella of ice under which was eternal snow. It fell in fat flakes and lighted down on his skin, giving him relief. She had to smile at his improvisation.

"What's that sound?" She wondered, turning her attention back to a constant wail that had assaulted her ears the moment they had arrived.

"Screams," Marshall informed her. "Screams of tortured souls that never made it to the land of Death. The souls that are destined to become nothing but mindless dumb demons," It scared her slightly, the tone of his voice, it was so dark and indifferent towards these pitiful souls. Fionna had to remind herself that he was not just the teenage boy she had come to care about, but also a creature of darkness that had been born into a world of pain and torture. To him, this would be normal.

"Let's just get this over quickly. How do we find your mom?" She asked. Instead of answering with words, he nodded towards something behind her. She turned and suddenly felt somewhat foolish. How had she not seen that before?

The castle seemed to be carved into the red jutting rock. Everything about it was sharp angles and menacing harsh points. Something she did note was the lack of a way to get to it, for it was surrounded by a deep canyon and no stairs were to be seen.

"Um…"

"You can fly," he chuckled lightly, amused by her naivety.

"Right," she huffed. She was still uncertain about the whole flying thing, not nearly comfortable enough to attempt it over a canyon as deep as the one they would cross. Sensing her worry, Marshall took her hand.

"Don't worry, you're good at everything, this will be easy. Besides, I'm right here," he reassured her. She couldn't help but allow a small smile to tickle her lips.

They made it to the end of the canyon, the bottomless pit seemed to stare up at them like a hungry mouth, waiting for someone to slip up just once and be lost forever in its depths. Fionna wouldn't admit it, but she was nervous. However, Marshall's hold on her was firm and she knew that he wouldn't let her fall.

"Alright, come on," she urged her to take another step.

With a deep breath, she tried to access whatever it was, magic probably, that allowed vampires to fly. It was a weird experience, having power, being able to access it, but never finding the words to describe exactly what it is you're doing. Hesitantly, gripping Marshall's hand tightly, she closed her eyes and stepped off the ground. She didn't feel a falling sensation so that was probably a good thing. She dared a peek and a giggle built in her chest.

She was flying.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Amazing right?" He was beside her now.

"Yes,"

"Told you, now let's go,"

Fionna was slightly awkward with the whole flying thing. She couldn't seem to quite grasp the fact that she didn't have to move her legs in order to stay in the air, but Marshall was patient and within a couple of minutes they were firmly planted in the entrance of the castle. There was no door so Fionna was able to see everything in the mail hall. Large stairs were carved from the walls and led to the second floor. For the most part, it appeared empty. A small bench was all that could be seen as far as furniture, and a lonely chandelier swung from the ceiling.

"Hello?" Marshall called inside.

"Can't we just go in? You live here too," Fionna wondered.

"Normally I would, but with you and Simon… Well I feel like surprising her might not be entirely a good idea,"

"Who dares come to face Hana Abadeer, the Queen of the Nightosphere?" An answer came. The voice echoed through the entire castle. It carried power, command, and venom. Hana didn't want to be disturbed.

"Mom, it's me," he called back. Suddenly a figure appeared on the stairs. This has to be Hana. Fionna gasped when she fully came into view.

She was beautiful.

The Queen was magnificent with her long raven black hair that fell just past her waist. It cascaded in waves and seemed to have a slightly blueish sheen to it. Her skin was flawlessly pale. Her features were sharp and commanding, but impossibly soft and feminine all at once. Adorning her womanly figure was a long extravagant deep purple dress with a tightly worn corset.

"Marshall? Is that you?" She paused at the foot of the stairs, staring at her son with wide eyes.

"Yes,"

"Oh Marshall, I knew you would come home," she practically danced over to him, enveloping him in a hug he did not return.

"Mom, please get off," he sighed, "I'm not here to stay. I need your help with something, that's it,"

She pulled away, her eyes boring into his with an unreadable expression. Then she shifted her gaze to Fionna, as if noticing her for the first time. Her deep grey eyes assessed her and her blood red tongue licked her bottom lip menacingly. She moved towards the new vampire, her claw like nails finding Fionna's face but not scratching her.

"Who is this?" She asked Marshall, her eyes never leaving Fionna.

"This is Fionna,"

"Fionna, what a pretty name," her name slithered from Hana's lips, poison dripping with it. "A pretty name for a very pretty girl," her nail traced Fionna's jawline.

"Back off," the adventurer warned.

"Child, do you know who you are being so rude to? Who exactly you are addressing?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, you're the Queen of the Nightosphere and whatnot. You're also Marshall's mother, so why don't you focus on him and leave me alone?"

"Marshall, who is this girl? Why have you brought her here?" She turned her attention back to her son.

"She is a friend, and she wanted to come with me. This," he stepped aside to reveal Simon, "is the Ice King, or Simon, and he is why I'm here. I want to remove his curse, and I know you are the only one who can do it,"

"What makes you think I can do any such thing?"

"Are you saying you can't?" He raised a brow, "Are you saying the powerful Hana Abadeer isn't able to remove one lousy curse?" Most would advise against the taunting of such a sociopathic creature who would kill without remorse, but since it was Marshall no one even flinched. His taunt worked. Hana straightened up and looked down at him with distaste.

"Of course I can. I can do whatever I please. The better question would be, why would I?"

"I don't know, because I'm your son and considering what you've done in the past you sort of owe me," he shrugged.

"Owe you?"

"Fries," was all he said. Understanding lit her eyes and a devilish grin twisted her mouth.

"Fries?" She chuckled, "That retarded thing? That is why you've been gone for all these years? I didn't think he was that important,"

"He wasn't. I mean, I liked him, but that isn't the point. The point is, you did it because you wanted to control me. That is why I've been gone. So unless you want me to disappear again for another thousand years, maybe longer, you'll do this for me, and you won't hurt them,"

Fionna was surprised how cool and collected Marshall was. He looked completely relaxed. The only emotion she was able to see on his otherwise indifferent face was distaste for the woman in front of him.

Marshall felt…Bored. He didn't expect there to be so little emotion in seeing his deranged mother again. She was the same as always, stunning and beautiful but twisted and sick. The only soft spot the heartless creature had was him. She was his mother after all. So he would use this against her, which was probably heartless in itself. However, he was his mother's son.

Hana narrowed her eyes, tapping a long nail against her blood red lips.

"How cruel you are," she noted, approval in her eyes, "You've grown up so much, I'm proud. However, I must say that I disapprove of your friends. The girl especially seems trouble to me. She looks so innocent, so pure, and yet somehow she is a vampire? Suspicious," she clicked her tongue.

"It's the pure and innocent ones you have to watch out for," Fionna practically purred. Marshall was surprised by the sudden change in her tone. Was she trying to impress him mom? Or was she trying to keep herself safe? His mother ran her eyes over the teenage girl, obviously still not quite convinced.

"What exactly is your relationship to this girl?"

"She is a friend,"

"Just a friend?"

"Yes,"

"She is very pretty Marshall, I'm not blind," she snorted.

"So are many girls, that does not mean I'm instantly attracted to them,"

He threw Fionna a quick glance, hoping she wasn't insulted. Although her face portrayed little, her eyes told him that she held no grudge.

"You were also never a very good liar,"

"I feel like I'm wasting my time. Are you going to help us or not?" He growled impatiently.

"Sure, fine," she waved her hand dismissively, "but on the condition that you visit me at least once a month,"

He shrugged, "Deal,"

"Alright then! Now let's have a look at this curse," she pushed Fionna aside, nearly knocking her into Marshall who caught her before she could cause any real damage.

Hana approached Simon, his eyes locked on her with apprehension. Her eyes, however, were fixed on the crown that sat upon his head. A small smile twitched her lips.

"Really Marshall, I thought you were smarter than this," she shook her head, "this is so simply solved,"

"Well that's great mom, care to explain?"

"The curse isn't on the man, well, not really. The crown is cursed. The curse spreads to the wearer, infecting them, but if the item is destroyed, then the infection will stop being supplied and therefore he will get better. It is much like being sick and being around the germs all the time, never being able to full get well,"

"So you're saying that I could have been rid of this nearly a thousand years ago, had I simply destroyed it?" Simon gritted his teeth. It had been that easy all along? He could have spared Marshall all that pain…

"Well, yes, however I suspect you never would have figured that out on your own. After all, the crown has much control over you correct? You would not have been able to do it,"

As much as he hated to admit it, Simon knew Hana was right. Even now, a part of him was horrified at the thought of losing his crown. The secrets he had learned, the things it had shown him, taught him, and though it had driven him mad, there was fondness there. It was not something he would ever be able to explain to another person, but he felt it inside.

"Will you do it?" He gulped. She raised a perfect brow.

"I said I would lift the curse didn't I?"

"You aren't exactly known for your honesty," he pointed out. She only smiled.

"Well, hand it over," she held out a hand, waiting for the crown to be placed in her grasp. When Simon did not move, his own internal struggle distracting him, she simply snatched it from his head. At first she simply held the crown, nothing seeming to happen. Then, however, Fionna noticed that the gold had started to turn white. She suddenly realized that Hana was melting it. Simon watched with wide eyes of both wonder and horror.

Small drops of melted gold fell to the stony ground below. Instead of cooling and simply becoming chunks of gold, they seemed to dissipate into the air, fading off into nonexistence. The gems popped from their place and shattered to dust as they fell. Finally, the crown was gone.

"That it?" Fionna couldn't help but ask.

"That's it," Hana sighed, crossing her arms with boredom. "I still cannot express how disappointed I am that you were not able to figure that out on your own. I suppose I just have to keep reminding myself that you are still so very young. You'll learn eventually I suppose. Now, about this girl…"

"Drop it! She doesn't matter right now,"

"Oh but she does, Marshall, she does," her voice had lowered to a soft coo. Somehow, this was worse than her more threatening tone. "You see, I can tell that she is made, she is very new in fact. Did you change her yourself? Hm? Why do you lie to me child?"

Marshall stepped in front of Fionna, creating a barrier between her and his mother.

"We are going to leave,"

"You're too good for that mortal. She may be a vampire now, but she is still naught but a filthy mortal. She is food, Marshall, you ought to have killed her."

"I don't need your approval. So what if I care about her?" He spat.

"So what? You ignorant boy. One day you will rule the Nightosphere. Do you think I will pass down my kingdom to a foolish child and his play thing?"

"Play thing?" Fionna interjected.

"Fionna, don't…" Marshall tried to warn her, but it was too late.

"Play thing?! Listen lady, I'm not anybody's play thing. And don't you think for a moment your son is too good for me. I've killed monsters far worse than him, monsters spat out by your precious Nightosphere. I could have killed him if I wanted to, but I didn't. I happen to care about Marshall so just be happy that I've chosen to be with him rather than slit his throat, alright?" Fionna growled, flashing her fangs angrily.

Hana seemed taken aback by Fionna's outburst. To say she was not used to anyone standing up to her was an understatement. Her lip snarled upwards with distaste.

"Get out, all of you," she hissed. "Marshall, I expect you back soon. Don't bring them with you next time,"

"Whatever Mom," he rolled his eyes, grabbing Fionna's arm and Simon's as well. Before either one could let one word slip from their lips, they were flying.

The portal was still open when they returned. Marshall mumbled a few words in a language that Fionna did not recognize, and slowly but surely the portal began to shrink. They passed through, arriving back in the tree house safely.

"Wow, she is a real piece of work," Fionna muttered.

"She is crazy if she thinks I'm actually going to come visit her," Marshall sighed. His attention shifted towards Simon who was sitting quietly on the ground. "Hey, you okay?"

"It all gone," he muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"My magic, the crown, everything is gone,"

"Well, not everything, looks like you still have all your old man hair and beard left," he pointed out, trying to sound halfway cheerful.

"Yes, well, I'm hoping that goes away," he chuckled dryly.

"This is what you wanted," Marshall reminded him.

"I know. I just… I feel empty. That crown, that curse, it's been with me for so long that I feel strange. I mean, my thoughts are alone. They aren't accompanied by the thoughts the crown projects into my head. It's so quiet," his brow furrowed.

"You'll get used to it," he reassured the older man. Simon nodded, offering a small smile to the teenage vampire. At least now, he could be there for Marshall. Well, he would be. For now, however, he needed time for himself. Giving abrupt good-byes to the two vampires he got up and left.

"He'll be fine," Fionna allowed a hand to rest on Marshall's shoulder. He smiled at her warmly.

"I know. You okay? I know my mom can be a bit of a bitch…"

"Most mothers are," she laughed.

"True,"

"I'm fine, she pissed me off more than anything. She isn't as scary as you lead me to believe,"

"That's because she stayed in her relatively normal looking form. She's a demon so she usually looks quite a bit less attractive,"

"Do you have a demon form?" Fionna suddenly wondered.

"Well, I can change my appearance, but this is my natural appearance. I was born a vampire, not a demon, so I got to keep my good looks,"

"I've been meaning to ask you about that, about being a born vampire. Why do you have bite marks?" She wondered.

"Oh," he chuckled lightly, "They aren't bite marks. They're tattoos. I figured that since I'm a vampire, I might as well have them right?"

"Tattoos? I fail to see why you would do that,"

"Oh never mind," he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, "Doesn't matter anyway. I'm just glad all this shit's over,"

"Me too," she breathed, closing her eyes and leaning back against his chest.

"Now I get to focus a little less on the outside world, a little bit more on you," he whispered in her ear, brushing his lips against her neck. The soft kiss was enough to make Fionna's skin burn. Yes, she could definitely get used to relaxing a bit more.

**I know it's been forever, I'm sorry! Between play rehearsals, school, work, and my very active social life, I have had NO time to write. I hope this chapter is okay. I'm personally not pleased with it, but I figured it was about time I updated anyway. I am unsure whether I want this to be the last chapter. Thoughts? **

**I just want to thank all of you guys for reading and reviewing. This is one of the top reviewed stories in this category, that makes me super happy! I could not have don't any of this without you guys, so thank you tons. **


	18. Blood-Lust

**Alright! Fine! You asked for another chapter! So I wrote another one! **

**ENJOY! **

**I hope you all know that you guys are the reason I continued this story. Thanks for being so supportive, seriously, I love you guys so much. I feel absolutely humbled that you like to read what I write. It's the biggest compliment a teenage writer like me can get at this point in my life. So thanks!**

Marshall had had one real girlfriend before Fionna. She had been a demon of sorts, dabbling in black magic and enjoying the torment of mortals. Her name was Ashley. The relationship had not been a particularly good one on account of the fact that Ashley had been a complete bitch. Perhaps she was simply unable to show any real emotion. Marshall had always suspected a sociopathic nature. Nonetheless, she never showed any honest affection towards him so he did not really miss her. However, the relationship had managed to make him apprehensive towards the whole dating scene.

Fionna and Marshall had shared tender moment and had already admitted their affections, yet they had not fully explored their feelings. So though he was nervous, Marshall decided to take her on a date.

"A date?" She raised a brow, turning her attention away from her video game.

"Well yeah," he shrugged casually.

"I'm not sure a date is exactly my type of scene,"

"I'm not talking about anything fancy," he rolled his eyes, "are you going to go or not?"

Fionna thought a minute, pressing her bottom lip between her teeth. It was not as if she did not want to spend time with Marshall, but she had never gone on a date before.

"I'm not going to take no for an answer," he added, a light-hearted threat in his tone. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she tilted her head in slight exasperation.

"Alright," she finally answered. A full smile lit his features.

"Great! Let's go!"

"Now"

"You have better things to do?"

Her eyes flickered to Beemo who had switched off the game and was watching them intently. When he found Fionna's gaze locked on him he frowned.

"Don't look at me like that, I know you want to go," he narrowed his eyes.

"Fine, fine, do I need to change?" She wondered, unsure what he had in mind.

"No, as I said, it is nothing fancy," he reassured her.

She took Marshall's hand and allowed him to lead her out the door.

The sun had long ago given its place to the moon, which was naught but a sliver of light slicing through the black canvas of the sky. Even the stars took refuge behind thick dark clouds. As Fionna breathed in the air, she could smell the fresh scent of rain.

"We might need umbrellas," she murmured. Marshall only smirked.

"Afraid of getting a little wet?"

"No," she retorted. He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze and pulled her along through the forest. She had no idea where she was being lead but he certainly did so she just let herself be lead into the shadows of the forest.

After a few minutes the couple was greeted by a clearing in the woods. It was a cemetery.

"What are we-"

Before her question could leave her lips, it was answered. Zombies were shambling around everywhere. Their pace was slow and sluggish, as one might expect from a hoard of the undead. They mostly appeared to be deceased candy citizens, one she even recognized as being Peppermint Butler's mother. Her sweet sugary flesh was crumbling with every step she took, landing in large clumps on the grass.

The zombies barely paid them any attention, though that was sure to change soon.

"Wow Marshall, how romantic," she whispered sarcastically. He merely chuckled.

"A dinner date would not suit you, so I figured slaughtering some zombies together would be quite fun. It's been a while since you've truly adventured, can you honestly tell me that you are not excited by the thought of fighting them? Come on Fionna, I know you well enough now to know this is the type of date you prefer,"

She could not deny that it was true. Her hand was practically itching to be wrapped around the hilt of her sword, plunging the sharp blade into their heads. The fact that Marshall would be fighting alongside her only made it that much more exciting.

"Come on," he let go of her hand and armed himself with a small dagger that he had concealed under his clothes. Fionna always kept her sword with her, the idea of being without it horrified her. She withdrew it from its place and stalked after the zombies.

A small smile curled her lips as she thrust her sword into the hard flesh of Mrs. Peppermint Butler. The almost sickly green glow in her eyes went out and she collapsed to the ground. Fionna whipped around and sliced the head off another. Her eyes flickered to Marshall who was having his own little party.

He leaped onto the back a nearby zombie and stabbed his dagger into its eye. Before it could hit the ground he jumped off and kicked another to the ground, decapitating it with a quick flash of his knife. Old blood dampened the grass and made it look as black as the sky above.

Adrenaline thrummed through Fionna's veins. The fight, though it was more of a slaughter, had left her feeling amazing. An indescribable blood lust had begun to take over. Is this what it felt like to be a true vampire? To kill? Granted, it was no innocent citizen nor living person in general that she was killing, it still did not mean that she was not finding a satisfaction in each and every zombie she befell. She moved effortlessly and slowly but surely she increased the strength behind each blow. Right and left the enemy fell to her sword. The blade was slickened with blood and it began to splatter all over her. The intoxicating smell was euphoric.

Without warning, she allowed the sword to slip from her grasp. She closed her clawlike fingers around the throat of a nearby walking dead and plunged her fangs into the dead flesh. The blood was cold and not nearly as satisfying as living blood, but it surely tasted good. Sweet. Mouthful after mouthful she felt her bloodlust grow.

Since she had drank from Steven, she had vowed not to drink from a being again. While it had never fully satisfied her, she had gotten by on simply drinking the colour red. Now, however….

"Fionna, what are you doing?" She heard Marshall ask. She dropped the lifeless body and stared at him curiously.

"What?"

"That's… Disgusting," he cringed. "Dead blood is disgusting,"

"Well I'm fucking hungry," she growled. Understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Right, I forgot about that. I probably should have made sure you were fed before I had you fight anything. You're in bloodlust… Hm," he thought a moment. Before he could come up with a solution, he heard a startled gasp.

"What in the name of Glob are you doing?" A feminine voice demanded. When the two turned they were both struck with shock.

"Gumball?" Fionna squeaked.

"Gumball? No! I'm Bubblegum, Princess Bubblegum, his cousin. What are you two doing?" The girl asked.

She was Fionna's age and looked nearly identical to Prince Gumball except with longer hair. The princess looked utterly horrified, but shockingly not at the zombies.

"What does it look like?" Marshall shrugged.

"You're killing my experiments! I've been trying to bring the dead back to life but I just haven't quite gotten the formula correct…" she trailed off as Fionna let out a groan.

Bubblegum's heartbeat pounded loudly in the thirsty vampire's ears. Her sweet blood tempted her beyond comprehension and she was thankful for Marshall's sudden hold on her shoulders.

"You should leave,"

"Why would I do that? I haven't even started tonight's trials," she protested.

"Tell me, Princess, do you want your throat ripped out and your blood devoured? Because I'm not sure how much longer her self-control is going to last," Marshall's tone was devilishly soft and calming. It almost unsettled Fionna, the way he could make something so gruesome sound almost beautiful.

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

"We're vampires, and though I've learned to control myself, my girlfriend has not had enough experience to do so,"

"I…"

All this time Fionna had begun to go blind with blood-lust. What had started out as innocent fun had become murderous for her. She wanted to kill, she wanted blood, the urge seared her throat, her stomach, her head, everywhere! Fire burned through her body. She had spent too much time in the tree house and therefore had never learned how to keep herself under control around mortals. Sanity was draining away and being replaced by instincts. A feral growl gurgled in her throat.

Without warning she made her move. Her animalistic nature sent her bounding towards the frightened girl. Marshall was not able to register what was happening before Fionna had her fangs in the Princess's throat. Luckily, he was able to move fast enough before she could kill her.

"Fionna! Stop it! Now!" He demanded, pulling her off. Bubblegum screamed as she touched her new wounds which still leaked hot sweet blood all over her pink skin. Luckily no artery had been hit and she would live.

"I tried to tell you," Marshall growled, struggling to keep control of the newborn vampire in his arms. Without needing another word, Bubblegum sprinted off.

"Fionna, please," he knelt down in the grass, feeling her start to calm down. Now that the temptation was gone, she was beginning to regain her humanity.

"Damn, Marshall, why did I do that? What happened?" She muttered.

"You were thirsty. I keep trying to tell you to feed but you never listen. You attacked Gumball's cousin," he explained.

"Oh Glob,"

"Don't worry, she's fine,"

"I ruined everything," she groaned. She gripped the sleeve of his shirt and buried her face in it. He was surprised by this sudden change.

"What are you talking about?"

"The date, I ruined it. You tried to do something nice and I screwed it up. I'm sorry,"

"Oh Fionna," he laughed, turning her so that she was facing him. "I love you,"

She stared at him a moment, absorbing the weight of those words despite the light tone in which they were spoken.

"I love you too," she finally said, realizing for the first time just how much she meant it.

"You didn't ruin anything. You're a vampire, I would never have expected anything different. We are alike now, you and I. Promise me, though, that you will feed when I tell you to. Next time I take you on a date I would rather not have to stop you from doing something you would regret. Though I'll admit, you are beautiful when you are in blood-lust," he teased.

"Shut up, I look awful," she looked down at her blood-stained attire.

"Well," a devilish grin started to spread, "You could always take them off,"

She gave his arm a hard punch.

"After all of this that's where your mind is? Are you insane?"

"A little,"

"I suppose I shouldn't expect anything different," she sighed.

"Well, this has been a successful date so far," Marshall exclaimed.

"So far?"

"Well it's not over, I haven't even kissed you yet,"

"Violence, blood, zombies, almost murder, and that's what you are thinking about?" She snorted.

"I'm a vampire sweetheart, does this surprise you?"

"No,"

"Good," a finger slipped beneath her chin and tilted her face upwards towards his. He flashed his fangs in a warm smile before pressing his lips to hers.

He could taste Bubblegum's blood on her lips and he had to admit, the princess really did taste wonderful, he did not blame Fionna for going completely nuts over it. His tongue grazed her bottom lip and she opened her mouth for him.

The kiss was passionate and loving. His fingers found their way into her messy blonde hair and he pulled her closer. She cupped his face and melted into his arms. No matter how tough she was, how crazy she could be, she was still a girl. Her heart still clenched each time he tightened his hold. Her breath quickened as his fangs scraped against her lips. And the things that happened when he moved his soft bites to her neck were indescribable.

Suddenly she felt something wet hit her face. The couple pulled away at the same time to look at the sky.

It had started to rain.

Fionna let out a delighted giggle, something Marshall had never heard before. He found it quite cute. Within seconds it started to pour, soaking them both. Marshall was going to suggest that they move, but Fionna liked the way the water felt against her skin. It washed away the sticky blood and left her feeling refreshed and clean. Besides, secretly she had always wanted to kiss in the rain. So before the older vampire could say anything, she pushed him into the wet grass and resumed their kiss.

Fionna woke up soaked. At first she was confused, but the feeling of a warm body beneath her brought back the memories of the night before.

The kiss had turned to so much more. A sense of bliss had befallen them and lead to bond that she hoped he felt as much as she did. It had been perfect to her, and she knew that he had enjoyed it. After they had finished they had both been too tired to try to go home. So they had curled up under a tree for shelter and simply fell asleep. She didn't want to wake him now, but she was still soaked and now they had a problem. The sun was rising.

"Marshall," she muttered softly, shaking the boy awake. He blinked sleepily a few times.

"Huh? Where are we? Oh!" He bolted upright, nearly throwing Fionna off of him. He looked down at the blonde girl and began to blush profusely. "I- Last night… Uh, wow," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Can we-uh- talk about last night later? It's sunrise, how are we going to get home?" She wondered, finding that her own face had begun to fill with blood.

"Right, um, here," he gently pushed her off and stood beside her, pulling off his already unbuttoned shirt. The morning light allowed her to see his bare chest easier and damn, he was gorgeous. While he might not have the muscles or perfect body most girls yearned for, he was lithe and lanky. There was some muscle to him, which was to be expected, but his abnormal inhuman strength made it so that he was not in need of bulging muscles.

His upper body seemed almost sculpted the way the angles and lines were set. She resisted the urge to reach out and trace each line of his abdomen. He noticed her appreciating stare and gave her a small arrogant smirk.

"I hate to ruin the view but I'm going to turn into a bat and hold this shirt over our heads okay?"

She had seen him change a couple of times, but it never ceased to amaze her. One minute he was the attractive boy she had grown to love, and the next he was a furry little flying mammal. Well, mostly. As a demon, he was able to change his form into practically anything. So though he was the traditional vampire bat, his arms and wings were separate so that he could hold the flannel above her head and provide them both shelter from the sun.

Cake, Steven, and Beemo had all grown accustomed to the schedule of their vampire friends, and therefore were all asleep when they arrived home. With the privacy they had, they were left to talk.

"So.. Um… About last night,"

"I swear to Glod if you say it was a mistake I'll slap you," Fionna warned.

"No! Fionna," he took her hands in his own, "No, it was not a mistake. I just wanted to know how you felt about it. I know it was sudden and I don't want you think I took advantage of you during your… state of mind,"

"Oh," she visibly relaxed.

"I'm sorry if I was out of line. I didn't plan for that to happen and I know that for a girl it's much different. I just want to make sure that you are okay and-"

Fionna cut him off with a kiss. "You worry too much," she murmured against his lips. He pulled back and searched her eyes for the answers he still was seeking and she couldn't help but to laugh lightly.

"Marshall, it was… I liked it okay?" She did not know how exactly to explain that while physically it had not been quite enjoyable, emotionally it had been the closest she had ever been to someone and it had left her feeling almost high. "I don't regret it and I'm glad it happened,"

His relief was obvious and he settled back into the couch, pulling her against him.

"Thank you,"

"For what?"

"Everything I guess," he shrugged.

They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

"Missing?" Princess Bubblegum stared at Lemongrab, the temporary prince who had taken the throne in the absence of Gumball.

"Yes, your majesty, missing,"

"Where do you suppose he could have gone?"

"It's been weeks, I suspect he might have been kidnapped or killed, which is why I have summoned you to the Candy Kingdom. You are next in line for the throne, Princess," he explained. Under different circumstances, she would have been ecstatic by the news. However, the thought of her cousin being dead brought a heavy pit into her stomach.

A sudden sting of her neck brought forth suspicions. That vampire…

Originally she had thought nothing much of the attack that had taken place. Vampires were not that new to her, she knew of their existence. Normal people would have been furious or at least frightened by such an event, but she was not. That's not to say that she did not still feel a little scared at the thought of being attacked, but there was anger towards the young girl. The boy had claimed her to be a newborn and so she knew that the girl had not wanted to hurt her necessarily, but was simply thirsty.

However, when she had first arrived at the cemetery, she had been mistaken for Gumball. Did they know him? Had they hurt him? Suspicions began to fester in the back of her mind, but she bit her tongue for now. She would make no accusations until she had proof.

**I got practically attacked when I said I was going to end it… So I decided to write another chapter. Of course, just as I suspected, I wrote what I had hoped would be the last chapter and then made it so that it could not end there! **

**There will be more chapters to follow dealing with Bubblegum trying to find out what happened to her cousin. **

**Hope you are all happy!**

**BTW: The next few chapters might not come out for a while. I've been busy with a musical lately and rehearsals are starting to run late and I have them every night so I won't be able to write for about a month at least. Thank you for your patience! **


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